Marijuana Mishaps
by Jaded Expression of Euphoria
Summary: Sho and Kei find something interesting in the warehouse of their latest gang raid and Sho decides to keep it, against Kei's better judgment of course. Chaos ensues of course. But then Kei remembers something he didn't even know he forgot. Sho/Kei later
1. Stray Animals? Marijuana Surprises

**LOOK AT ME! I'M SOME **_**GENERAL STORY INFORMATION**_**! IMPORTANT!**

_**Story Title:**_ Marijuana Mishaps (unless I discover something better)

**-Rating:** R

**-Warnings: **un-beta-ed - edited myself, language, misuse of objects in some chapters, OFC

**-****Disclaimer:** Gackt owns Moon Child right? (I guess that means he owns Kei too huh? *wiggles eyebrows*)

**-Pairings:** (eventual) Sho/Kei, brief OFC/OFC

_**Chapter Title:**_Marijuana Surprises (or What's In The Box?)

**-Chapter:** 1/?

**-Rating: **_PG-15_

_**Warnings for this chapter**_**: **briefnon-con molestification

**Jaded's fore-words: **I'm half asleep as I write this so the only other WARNING that there is, is that this thing is probably loaded with typos and shit and I'm just too lazy to actually proofread it before posting.

**EDIT:** Wow, it has been a _long_ time since I started this. And I'm not even halfway done with it. (I don't even **know** _how_ it's going to end lol X) What you're about to read is the new and revised/edited first chapter of this fanfic. See, I got this huge annoying writers block after chapter 16 (on here it's chapter 17) that lasted for about a month and practically killed my brain with frustration. So, instead of trying to force a creative flow I decided to go through and edit some of the annoying grammar and spelling mistakes I always find _after_ I post the new chapter. I also revised some things, minor mostly but I definitely changed some parts and scenes I wasn't too happy with. I made them better.

So enjoy! :)

* * *

It started out like any other heist they pulled. Toshi would drop off the pizzas and leave, Sho and Kei would come in, and the blond vampire would sit around while Sho shot at anything that moved with deadly accuracy. Then Kei would feed and they would leave. Later Toshi would come by and steal the gang's possessions (money, jewelry, anything worth it to use or sell). And everything went as planned up until Sho and Kei were leaving.

"Kei," Sho called as he glanced around for his friend. The immortal should have been somewhere close. "Lets go, Kei."

He turned a little to his left as the blond vampire almost drunkenly stumbled out from underneath a metal staircase, his hand catching a railing on the underside to keep himself steady. His reddened tongue swiped at his bottom lip to clean the excess smear of blood from his feed, Sho's gaze sticking on Kei's lip at the motion and he turned around, breaking the split-second spell that caught him.

Kei sauntered over to his mortal friend with oddly-focused, glazed eyes, falling into step next to Sho who had already begun making his way toward the door. They were almost out of the warehouse when Kei unexpectedly stopped as they passed by several large crates of drugs.

"Kei?" Sho asked, pivoting on the spot. He watched the vampire step closer to the crates. The blond frowned curiously before opening his mouth to speak.

"I smell blood."

Sho raised a mocking eyebrow while taking an exaggerated glance around the building, specifically, at the dead bodies strewn around the building. Kei glared at him.

"Not fresh blood," he stated while placing his attention back on the maze of crates in front of his person. "I don't. . .think it's human, either."

Sho was curious now and his countenance dutifully expressed it. His eyes sparkled inquisitively.

"An animal's?" Maybe the gang had been holding something like a gorilla or tiger. That would be interesting, and it was not like it hadn't happened before.

"No. It's- Well, it _is_ human but not . . . entirely?" Kei's response to the taller man's question trailed off as his eyes scanned the containers full of assorted drugs.

They alit on one of the crates near the center of the mass and he was suddenly moving forward, clearing cases of heroin and cocaine in a single bounds and leaps. Sho followed with intrigue, struggling to keep up with the vampire who had momentarily ignored his mortal friend.

Kei came to an abrupt stop when he reached the desired crate. The smell of blood was stronger now and even so, was also difficult to pick out under the heady smell of marijuana. With a curiosity he rarely possessed he reached for the lid and shoved it off.

When Sho caught up seconds later he found a very shocked and confused vampire.

"Kei? Kei, what's wrong?" He inquired a little fearfully as he stepped up focusing all of his attention on the shorter male. Then, noticing where his friend's gaze was aimed, he imitated it and couldn't help the cry of "The hell?" at what he saw.

Curled up inside the crate in a nest of marijuana was a young boy, a teenager maybe. He was shirtless and smeared on his stomach was the almost black crust of dried blood. His shoes were off in a corner of the crate along with his shirt and his bare feet absently moved back and forth as he slept. He used an oversized camouflage, army coat as a blanket, which was currently bundled up under his arms.

The two men watched as he stirred slightly, his eyes remaining closed, and one hand moved down to pick at a bit of the dried blood from his stomach and place his finger in his mouth. He sucked on it and chewed at his fingernail before moving the jacket back to cover his exposed midsection. Then he rolled over and fell back into a deep sleep. The only bits of his body that were visible now were the mop of pink and black hair sticking out from underneath the collar of the coat and his jean covered legs.

"Can we keep him?" Sho asked, intrigued.

* * *

David staggered down an alley unsteadily, peeking around corners as he moved along. His hair was greasy and pink strands hung in his vision in thick, ugly strings. It'd been almost a week since he'd been able to bathe and four days since he'd last seen his small family of friends. Now, it was dark and not the greatest idea to be wandering the crime-ridden streets of Mallepa, especially since his guard was also drastically lowered due to lack of sleep and food. But what choice did he have at this point?

His eyes widened like an animal caught in the headlights of an oncoming semi and he quickly took cover in the shadows near a large dumpster as a group of five, no six older men blundered out of the back entrance of a bar, their voices creating a cacophony all their own to add to the dull roar at the ends of the alley. David shivered apprehensively.

Now, most people in Mallepa weren't gay but when men were drunk and wanted to get laid they wouldn't mind fucking basically any young passerby that appealed to their taste, consensual or not. David knew this from past encounters with drunks and he watched as they split, four of the men stumbling his direction and the other two moving in the opposite. He watched them carefully.

Seconds after the four men coming in David's direction passed he made a snap decision to run for it and bolted out of hiding, sprinting for the exit of the alley with only two men, figuring it would be easier to get past two rather than four. He didn't get far, as it seemed that one of the men behind him, a Chinese man of about twenty-five years of age, had heard him as he had knocked over some small, trashed, plastic crates and was following him closely. The two in front of David turned at the disturbance and leered when they saw what was going on - a young, defenseless and attractive-enough teen being chased by one of their buddies.

The pink-haired boy was easily caught between the two of them and slammed against a nearby concrete wall, his arms pinned out to the sides. The other three drunks had staggered around the corner at the far end of the alley, swallowed by the constant flow of Mallepa.

"Mmm, what do we have here boys?" The Chinese man who had been chasing David commented with a leer and his buddies chuckled dumbly. David glared at him mutely, meeting his lascivious gaze with ire.

"I don't know, but he's pretty enough for a quickie," one of the men holding him said with a lewd, lecherous, leer at David, giving him a head-to-toe-to-head sweep that the pinkette could practically feel groping him.

"He's _too_ pretty. Maybe we should fix that?" The other man pinning him suggested as he reached out to touch David's face with a single finger, sliding it down his cheek with too much pressure. The boy snapped viciously at the offending appendage. The Chinese man who had chased David laughed and nudged the other man with his elbow.

"Feisty isn't he?" The guy holding David sneered excitedly as he reached out for his face again. "We'll just have to break his spirit, won't we."

David's top lip curled back in disgust and he gnashed his teeth together in warning again. But the man refused to stop his advance and this time the boy really did bite his fingers. The man howled in pain and staggered backward holding his bleeding hand. David struggled at the chance to escape but the other man held him steady, hands on his shoulders pressing him awkwardly into his backpack pinned between his body and the wall.

"The little bitch took one of my fingers!" The man screeched as the leader of the group, the Chinese man, backhanded the pink-haired boy. David spit the finger he had held in his mouth into the guy's face, hoping they'd take the thing and rush off to the hospital to get it reattached. But alas, they were too drunk to be concerned about the finger. Or maybe the guy just didn't care as much as he acted like he did.

"If the kid likes to bite then well just have to bite back." And with that statement the man who had smacked David yanked him forward by his shirt, jerked his head painfully to the side by his pink hair, and harshly bit into his neck. David had to grind his teeth together to prevent the scream in his throat from bursting forth as blunt teeth broke skin.

Then the guy was pulling away and spitting blood in his face. Two of them laughed while the man with the bleeding hand angrily lunged forward and forced David to the ground with his uninjured hand on the back of the teen's neck. His backpack was ripped away and tossed to the side.

A sharp kick connected with his ribs and he heard a very disturbing crack. Pain followed afterward in breath-stealing volts that racked through his body and David rolled onto his back with gasping breaths to avoid the pain. A hand shoved his shirt up his chest while others grappled with his jeans, groping his thighs and crotch disgustingly as David tried to pull his legs into a better position and use them in defense. His knees were grabbed and David twisted his right leg, kicking the man holding it in the shoulder. A stinging slap was delivered to his face, whipping his head to the side and filling his mouth with blood.

David swung his free arm and punched the man who was leaning over him, hands rubbing up and down his chest and making him shudder, nauseated by panic and revulsion. His wrists were slammed to the hard concrete with crushing, bruising force and pinned under the man's shins as another set of hands jerked at his belt, belonging to the man who had forced his legs apart by the knees and was now kneeling between his them as he attempted to find the buckle of his belt. David heard a familiar jangle and glanced toward the noise to find the third guy kneeling at his side, working on the button and zipper of his own pants while his belt hung open.

A repulsed twist in his gut caused David to gag. He knew what was coming.

Someone seemed to have heard the racket - caused by angry-concentrated grunts and insults and David crying out in pain each time he was hit - and cautiously crept into the alley entrance nearby. The three men looked up to see what appeared to be a drug dealer - judging by his long, black coat useful for hiding drugs on the inside pockets - hoping to get in on the action.

David saw this as an opening for freedom and as soon as two of the men holding him down moved toward the newcomer he kicked the remaining man in the face (the one with his pants worked open) knocking his head back violently. Then he made a mad dash, stumbling to his feet as he snatched up his bag and made a run for it, one arm pressing against where his ribs were cracked. He ran down the alley where the three other drunken men had disappeared previously. He heard shouts to "catch him before he escapes" that just made him run faster, each panting breath spiking agony through his frayed nerves.

Soon he was out on the main streets of Mallepa and dodging people and tables and stands left and right. He zigzagged around hoping to slow and confuse the group chasing him. He threw obstacles into their paths by running into traffic and jumping over furious, honking cars. He tipped anything he could behind him to slow them down. By the time his legs were jelly and his lungs were actually about to give out with each burning gasp and the pain in his ribs had dulled to a numbing ache there was only one man chasing him, the one he'd taken a finger from. What was worse was that they had now entered the most dangerous part of the city.

Mallepa itself was a town notorious for crime, murder, drug trafficking, and gangs but this was where most of the bigger, badder gangs stored their goods for income and warehouses were soon around every corner, along with members of said gangs, who also had to be avoided.

David needed to do something quick or he would be dead. Raped or dead, or both.

Then he turned a corner and found himself at a metal dead end, surrounded by two warehouses and a concrete wall twelve feet high with a locked door leading into the warehouse to his left.

"There's nowhere for you to run now, bitch," the man rasped with a chuckle. "And now I expect to get _full_ compensation for what you did to my hand, _you little fuck_," he spat at David as he stalked closer.

David fell to the ground then, breathing too hard to stay upright, collapsing onto his hands and knees with his backpack dropped at his feet. He remained panting on all fours as the guy approached him. His head was lifted by an almost tender hand under his chin and it was then that the boy let himself give in to a long since satiated hunger.

As his eyes met the man's, muscles in the gums around his canines contracted and said teeth extended into protruding fangs digging into his bottom lip. His hazel orbs flashed with feral blood-thirst. He sprang off the ground at the man's throat wicked quick and succeeded in knocking him over, catching him surprised. Their size difference would have otherwise been problematic for David.

Blood rushed into David's mouth and leaked out of the corners, dribbling over the tense tendons in the man's neck as he struggled fervently, a terrified shriek escaping his throat. He pounded on David's back with weak fists, unable to get a good shot, and attempted to pry the boy's hands from his body where blunt nails were digging viscously into his flesh but nothing was working. And slowly his frantic movements toward escape from the demon attached to his neck became lethargic and he gave himself up to death as unconsciousness crept into his vision in melting, black smoke.

David drained mouthful after mouthful of the crimson liquid that gave the man under him life. It also provided him with life, and he was starving and parched. He only stopped in his feed to pull away and whisper a short, mocking, cynical and yet sincere apology to the man before he was swept into oblivion. Then his lips reattached themselves to the wound on the jugular in front of him and he stole the last swallows of the man's life with relish. As he fed, his cracked ribs began mending at a snail's pace and all soreness in his body numbed as if he'd taken a powerful anesthesia.

Again, someone intruded upon the unplanned-plans concerning the boy and two members of a gang stomped out of the locked door as it banged open, each with machine guns in hand and annoyed scowls on their faces. David crouched low and held himself perfectly still in the dark alcove close to the concrete wall where he had been cornered. They did a quick surveillance of the area before moving back to the door and re-entering the warehouse. David grabbed his backpack from the ground where he'd dropped it and swiftly slipped in behind them unnoticed.

He picked his way silently through the building, sticking to shadow, until he found the room where they were storing crates of drugs and decided it was as good a place as any in Mallepa for a nap. He set out picking the perfect place to sleep and scented out a crate of marijuana surrounded by similar crates of heroin.

Without making much sound he removed the lid halfway and shoved around the contents so there was a large dip amidst the leaves. He hid his backpack in it and crawled in, ridding his body of shoes and shirt. He lay down over his backpack, covering himself with his coat, intending to get some rest but his mind was refusing to let him.

With a sigh he located the pocket in his coat that bore the small pocket knife he carried. David removed the object, flicking it open, and then pulled the lid closed so that there was only enough of a crack for him to breath. He got comfortable after that and idly dragged the sharp blade over the smooth skin of his stomach. The tickling sensation doubled with the occasional sting gently lulled him into a safety sleep, with the knowledge that a weapon - even a small one - was at hand, just in case.

That night David slept with a stomach full and a a hunger sated, and the comforting smell of the familiarity of the plant he was sleeping in to stave off unwanted dreams. He hadn't even known that he was bleeding when he passed out but it didn't really matter because in ten minutes time there wouldn't even be scars.

Hours later he awoke to gunfire and momentarily panicked until he remembered where he was. He snuggled into his jacket then, letting the noise become something distant, and went back to sleep.

* * *

"Are you kidding, Sho? Keep him?" Kei questioned his friend with and an incredulous look. "This is not a stray dog we're talking about here. It's a human _boy_ who we _found_ in a crate of _drugs_."

Sho looked at him with a full-blown pout. Kei turned his head away knowing that he wouldn't be able to keep up his willpower if he was on the receiving end of that stare.

"But-but Kei~!" Sho whined. "He's all alone and he looks like he's been on the streets awhile and he's probably an orphan and he really needs our help, Kei~!"

The blond vampire refused to respond to the jabs. If he did, all hope was lost.

"Fine!" He heard the braided man huff and for a moment he thought he won. But when he turned around it was to see Sho carrying the sleeping boy out the door to their car.

"Sho! Sho, wait! You can't just- It's not like bringing home a wayward cat or something! Dammit, Sho-"

* * *

**Jaded's after-words:** And now that you've gotten all the way down here and are reading this message, you should move your mouse down a little bit and click that nice little button to drop a review. Or just a random comment. I'm okay with that too. I'd _**like**_ it if you took the time to tell me what you liked or didn't like or what made you laugh or cry or burn with fury or let me know where you think I might need some work or something but you **don't have to**. Feel free to just answer this random question. (What do you wish your birth name was?)


	2. Is He Trying to Burn the Dirt Off?

**Title:** ...it's in debate. Got ideas?

**Author:** Jaded

**Chapter:** 2/?

**Pairing:** Sho/Kei

**Rating:** PG-15

**Warnings:** un-beta-ed, language, unusual situations and misuse of objects in some chapters.

**Disclaimer:** Gackt owns Moon Child right? (I guess that means he own Kei too huh? *wiggles eyebrows*)

Jaded's fore- words: This is the next chapter of this story, and I just have to say I really have no idea where it's supposed to be going! :) Basically I'm just letting the chapters write themselves. Maybe the muse will strike me after people review or when school starts again. Or when I stop vegetating in bed. Although the sleeping does cause me to dream and those are always interesting! ;P And I hope you'll all be happy to know that I proof-read this chapter, so there should be slightly less typos and grammatical errors than the last.

* * *

"So why can't I drive?" Sho whined after Kei had forcefully removed him from the driver's seat of their car. They were heading home with the boy soundly sleeping in the back and Kei had _insisted_ that he drive them home.

"First of all you don't have a license and drive like a maniac." Kei started to explain only to be interrupted by Sho's mumbled comment of:

"Never stopped me before."

Kei threw him a glare that just made the man with braids pout even more.

"And secondly you're the one who insisted on bringing the boy home so you get to take care of him for the time begin."

"But he's sleeping right now! There's nothing for me to take care of." Protested Sho while turning in his seat to look back at the slumbering pink haired boy curled around a tattered backpack they had found under him. His shirt and shoes had been successfully placed back on his body and the coat was still being used as his blanket.

"Yes there is. You need to make sure he sleeps well and wake him if he has nightmares and be there when he wakes up and has no idea where he is. Until we find out how long he's staying and adjust to his sleeping patterns that's what you have to do."

" . . . flying . . . stupid puppy monkey . . . evil toe . . . chased . . . Barnicky . . ."

Kei quirked an eyebrow as he listened to the sleepy mutterings of the unconscious male in the back of their car. He almost smiled at the grimace of discombobulation Sho's face wore.

"So now we know he talks in his sleep." Kei stated to further press his point.

"Are you gonna bet on that Ace?" The boy questioned in his sleep.

"What Ace?" Sho asked, looking at his vampiric friend for answer, as if he knew it. The boy seemed to have heard him though.

"In poker. I'm gonna win."

"We're not playing poker." Sho said matter-of-factly. The boy rolled over.

"Oh."

A few minutes passed and they were only five minutes from home.

"Well that was interesting." Kei forced out trying not to laugh at the confusion present in Sho's expression. He looked adorably hilarious. The young man had never been around someone who talked in their sleep. "I wonder if we can get his name while he's sleeping."

"Nope," was the boy's muffled response.

"So much for that." Sho huffed and flopped back to a normal sitting position in his seat for the remainder of the car ride.

When they arrived back at their flat it was a couple hours before dawn. Kei swiftly flicked off the ignition and removed the keys before walking inside and leaving Sho to carry the boy and his things into their home.

Sho stepped into the living room and found it empty so he carefully deposited the young male's body on the sofa before going to look for Kei. He found him in his room sitting with a glass of water on his rarely used bed. His red coat was on the mattress next to him.

"Kei?" Sho gently called from where he was standing in the doorway. The vampire glanced up at him for a second. Sho knew he was listening. "Where should the kid sleep?"

The blonde shrugged. Anywhere would basically be fine. He could sleep on the sofa even though the vampire didn't recommend it. He could take Kei's usual residence on the daybed. Or he could sleep in the unused bed in Kei's room.

"He could sleep in here. It would probably be best." Kei told Sho instead of what he was thinking. He heard the boy- no, man, shift weight as he waited for something more from the vampire. Kei just continued staring at the wood floor in front of his feet.

So Sho sighed and stepped out of the doorway to head back to the living room. It would work best if the boy slept in Kei's room, Sho reasoned with himself. Then Kei could sleep on the daybed like normal and the boy wouldn't feel so weird waking up in a new place what with the privacy the bedroom offered in comparison to the living room.

There was only one problem Sho found out when he reached his destination. The boy had already squished his body between the couch cushions and the back of the sofa and was now halfway hidden underneath them while the cushions hung halfway off the couch. It seemed like the boy could sleep anywhere.

"Or we could just leave him where he is." Kei suggested, making Sho jump since he hadn't sensed the vampire standing in the room right behind him.

He spun around to find the blonde dressed for bed in a white peasant shirt (one he wore often), a pair of baggy black pants, and the same black boots he wore everywhere. Only since he had changed his clothes the laces were untied and loose.

Sho just shrugged his shoulders as if to say "Whatever," and turned his back to Kei, who had stepped up beside him, to trudge to his room. Suddenly feeling tired after the strange happenings each step for Sho was more of a stumble.

On his way out he happened to glance at the clock on the wall next to the short hallway that led to his bedroom. It was almost two hours passed the time they normally arrived home.

"'Night," Kei softly uttered and Sho paused just outside his room. The light flicked off behind him and he hesitated before returning the nightly farewell and opening the door to his bedroom. Then he was in the comforts of the small place that was entirely his own with the door gently shut behind him.

He just barely able to fumble out of his clothing and into his pajamas (a black wifebeater and a pair of sweatpants) and take out the hair-tie holding his braids together before collapsing into his welcoming bed. And what a luxury it was, king size and covered in red satin sheets that he had insisted on getting. The cool fabric of his royal blue comforter soothing against his cheek.

Too tired to climb under the covers and sleep correctly Sho just blindly reached up with one arm to pull a pillow down the bed to sleep on. It wasn't long after getting comfortable that he was sleeping soundly.

But in the other room Kei lay awake both in fear of the haunts of his subconscious and the guilt he was feeling. That night he hadn't drunk nearly as much blood as he led Sho to believe. It was getting harder each day to live with his lifestyle and he was starving himself more often than not. But he didn't want Sho to worry so he acted like everything was all fine and dandy.

Across the room on the other side of the partition the boy thrashed around for a minute before curling up again, breathing deeply. Kei sighed as he listened, wondering why Sho wanted to bring the boy home. It was understandable of course but still there was the nagging, insecure 'Why?' in the back of his head.

It was that anxiety that eventually lulled the vampire into a restless sleep.

* * *

The next day Kei didn't wake by nightmare like he had been doing as of late. Instead it was a slow climb to consciousness where he only registered a couple things at a time.

The first sense that came back to him was hearing and the noises outside the flat registered in his mind as the bustle of people. Next was a kind of insight that told him the inner workings of his home were slightly off. Then he felt a small warm body shift against his chest. And it smelled like the boy he and Sho had found the night before.

That was definitely a cause for alarm and Kei's eyes shot open as his mind kicked into full awareness. He looked down at his chest to see a mass of hot pink and ruffled black nuzzled into his shirt. With more observation he found the boy to be completely curled up next to him. The boy's knees pressed into Kei's side when he shifted.

Suddenly he heard a snicker and jerked his head to the side to look through the bars that served as an artistic half-partition. And there stood Sho in his pajamas trying to laugh quiet enough not to wake the boy. Silently the younger male pointed to the trail of couch cushions and the one open backpack that led to Kei's bed.

Kei glared at the other man. Sho was immune to the look though and just continued to giggle behind his hand.

"Kodak moment." He whispered humorously before his silent sniggering was blown into a full cacophony of laughter.

The boy had suddenly flopped onto his back and successfully punched Kei in the nose. He then proceeded to stretch his whole body out with a long yawn. Sho's laughter redoubled as he watched the boy's right leg shake like a cat's did when it stretched.

"Are you _sure_ we didn't bring home a cat, Kei?" The male with braids questioned through his hysterics.

Kei rolled his eyes at Sho and the boy groaned in annoyance as he finished his stretch. One hand dropped off the side of the day bed and onto the floor where his fingers brushed against a piece of fabric laying there. Slowly the boy fingered it before his fist clenched in the dirty material. He lifted his hand above his face before he dropped the cloth on to his face and inhaled deeply.

By then Sho's chuckles had died and Kei was able to exchange a confused glance with him. Cautiously the vampire reached over and slowly pulled the blanket away from the boy's face so as to not startle him.

The boy just blinked twice in the soft glow of the lamplight that seemed to have been on for a while. He didn't move and he didn't acknowledge either of the other two males. All he did was stare blankly at the ceiling as if waiting for something to happen.

"What's your name?" Kei decided to ask. The boy turned his head. Brown and green met with chocolate before he answered.

"David," he paused after speaking and seemed to decide on something. "Vang. D-David Vang."

Kei quirked his eyebrow at the given name. It wasn't anything Japanese, Taiwanese, or Chinese but it was spoken with a perfect Japanese accent. Kei had asked the question in Mandarin.

"I'm Kei," the vampire introduced himself, reverting back to Japanese. He gestured to the other male who was looking on (and feeling jealous for some odd reason). "That's Sho. We found you last night asleep in a crate of marijuana."

"Oh . . . I'm hungry." David responded with, as if food was the answer to everything. Then he rolled off the side of the bed, but instead of getting up and walking around to find the kitchen or asking for someone to show him where it would be he crawled around the wall part of the partition to his backpack.

He stuffed the ragged blanket he was dragging behind him into it and placed it close to the wall. Then David was shuffling on his knees toward the couch cushions. When he reached the first one he began sliding it across the floor toward its twin. He reached it easily enough and stacked the first one on top of it. Seconds later he pushed the cushions into the side of the couch and was lifting them up into their respective resting places.

He'd done it all on his knees and when he was finished he turned around and plopped down Indian style in front of the sofa. Why he didn't just sit on it, nobody knew.

Sho and Kei had watched every movement he made with curious gazes and now those gazes were met with one of their own as hazel eyes stared expectantly at the two.

"So you and your friends were in the park when a bunch of people started screaming and running and the three of you started running and screaming just for the heck of it until there was gunfire and then you were separated and then someone's pet aardvark attacked you and you ran for your life before falling into a crazy man's hole that he dug in the ground and was stuck there for three days when a group of people all dressed like clowns helped you out and asked you to play Juliet for a kink play so you bolted as fast as you could and have been looking for your friends until last night when three drunken men tried to rape you and you ran into the warehouse we found you in to take a nap?"

Sho breathlessly finished the narration-in-question-form, trying to get straight in his head all that the boy had said. David nodded as he chewed the spoonful of cereal in his mouth. The three of them were comfortably sitting in the kitchen, Sho and David at the table and Kei on the counter. David swallowed the mouthful before speaking again.

"That pretty much sums it up," he stated, still nodding. "Well, except for the fact that when the Chinese men tried to rape me and I ran one followed my and I drank his blood before I took a nap."

Kei's head snapped up to look at the boy in suspicion and Sho's eyes grew to the size of frying pans as his jaw hit the table in front of him.

"You're a vampire?" Sho exclaimed looking to David for affirmation.

"Not really," the pink haired boy started as he scratched the back of his head. "I'm only part vampire; the offspring of a vampire that got knocked up by another one."

"You have parents?" Sho asked, wondering why the kid was sleeping in a crate of marijuana if that was the case.

"No. I used to have parents. They both died when I was young. I had been kidnapped and thought to be dead so they both committed suicide."

"How old were you?"

"Uhm . . . Three?" David lifted his bowl up to his lips then and emptied the milk inside.

"What was it like? Having parents?" Sho inquired as he watched the boy. His parents had given him up when he was extremely little.

"Nice I guess. I don't remember much but what I do, I know I like. I used to miss them but then I found a new family and grew up. Sometimes I wish I were back in their arms. Then I realize that if I was I couldn't have my friends."

Kei had been listening closely to the boy since the comment about him being part vampire and hearing that last sentence struck something in him. He knew what David was saying about wanting to go back but forgetting momentarily about the important people occupying his life in the present.

He would often wish he had died with Luka, or never been turned, or never even been born. But where would Sho be without him and where would he have been without Sho? At this thought Kei felt something suppressed begin to creep back out of its cage and immediately squashed it. But that emotion reminded him of something Luka had told him and he voiced it.

"What genders were your parents?" It was his first question since they had all made themselves comfortable in the kitchen and Sho gave him a weird look as if to say 'The same genders as all parents are!' David answered the question in stride though.

"Male."

Now Sho was really shocked. Male vampires could have children?! As in get pregnant and give birth, children?! That was just too weird. But Kei just seemed to be nodding as if something had been confirmed.

"What else do ya got to eat?" David asked, getting up to look in the fridge.

'Jesus Christ,' Sho thought to himself. The kid had already eaten three waffles, a pack of Pocky, a tub of frosting, five tomatoes with salt, a sandwich with tomatoes, lettuce, ham, turkey, cheese, and onions, two bowls of cereal, and drank a gallon of orange juice. How much more could he eat?

Kei watched the boy with almost disgust as he sat back down at the table with a grape Fanta, a jar of pickles, and a jar of cocktail onions. How could someone eat so many different variations of food at once without throwing up?

"Why do you eat so much?" The blonde vampire asked as David removed an onion from the jar and began peeling off a single layer after sucking all the vinegar off of it.

"Uhm, well," he chewed and swallowed before continuing. "I haven't eaten in a while and last night I drank blood, enough to compensate for the many days I'd gone without, and now I need to eat enough food to balance that out. I can't have one without the other or I could get extremely sick. Been there, done that, it sucked."

They sat in silence for a bit after that, both of the older males watching as the boy ate half the jar of pickles and the entire jar of onions. Then he downed the bottle of grape soda without pause. He finished and looked at the mess in front of him before standing up and cleaning off the table by first throwing away all garbage. It wasn't long until he had picked everything up and even wet down a rag with scalding hot water and wiped everything down.

Pinky would've probably taken out the garbage and swept and mopped ceiling and floor if Kei hadn't stopped him with a hand on his shoulder as the rag was hung over the faucet to dry. David looked at him with a frown and a slight blush. He was confused about why the blonde had stopped him but also embarrassed, like he'd been caught doing something he didn't know he wasn't supposed to.

"Why don't you go get cleaned up. I'm sure we've got some clothes around here that would fit you when you're done showering." Kei gently suggested with a small quirk of the lips. He didn't want to upset their guest.

But David didn't seem to be upset in any way at all. He just smiled thankfully and nodded his head. Kei led the way to the bathroom, leaving Sho sitting there smirking because even though the vampire had insisted that he was going to take care of the boy Kei was doing it for him. Minutes later Kei had prepared everything for David to get cleaned up and was emerging from the already steaming room.

"What's he trying to do? Burn all the dirt off?" Sho asked with amusement when Kei returned to the kitchen, lighting a cigarette.

"It would seem like it, wouldn't it." Kei nonchalantly responded with, not really paying attention. Comfortable silence befell upon them when Sho realized after that, that Kei wasn't in the mood to talk, and he lit up a cigarette of his own.

* * *

After going for more than a week without one, showering for David was like a warm wet heaven that didn't involve sex. Well that's what he thought as the scalding water poured over his pale skin in rivulets that left trails of pink in their wake. He stood under the stream for a couple more minutes before stepping out from underneath and turning on the cold so the temperature dropped to lukewarm, a stark contrast against David's heated skin.

It was a slow wash after that, starting with his pink hair. He lathered shampoo into the grimy locks, the foam dripping onto his shoulders only to be swept down his thin figure by the cascade of water. Then he was scrubbing his body while watching in delight as his skin turned red and burned when the water flowed over the newly flushed area. When he washed his face his touch was obviously gentler. He finished the whole thing off by massaging conditioner into his clean locks of hair and rinsing.

The drain was plugged then and the water temperature went as hot as it could. David sat down with his back to the showerhead and let the water pound against his back, neck, shoulders, and head. He chose a couple of songs from his mental playlist and suddenly everything else faded but the gentle beat of water and his thoughts.

A knock on the door and words he couldn't hear roused him from his meditative state. He didn't know how long it had been but when the door opened David barely felt the gust of cool air. He didn't feel it because the water pouring from the showerhead was colder and the water in the bathtub had risen past his navel. From that though he guessed he'd been in the shower for quite some time.

"David," Kei called into the room. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." The pink haired boy answered. His voice was thick from not using it so he cleared it and tried again. "Yeah, I just lost track of time."

* * *

Sho glanced at the clock on the living room wall before looking over to Kei who was laying on the daybed and smoking. His eyes were glazed as he stared at the ceiling.

"He's been in there a while," Sho began. Kei turned his head and looked at him. "Do think he's okay?"

"How long has it been?"

"Almost an hour and a half."

Kei frowned and swung his legs over the edge of the leather bed. He silently slipped his unlaced boots on and stood, walking toward the hallway.

"I'll check on him." Was all he said.

The vampire stared at the door in front of him before raising a hand and knocking softly. No response.

"Are you okay?" Still nothing. "I'm going to come in now."

Kei opened the door a crack and peered around the door. His frown deepened when he heard the sound of water hitting water and noticed all the steam had disappeared from the air.

"David, are you okay?"

This time he received a hoarse response. And a then the boy cleared his throat.

"Yeah, I just lost track of time."

Kei stepped fully into the bathroom and shut the door behind him. He was feeling a bit worried now. How did someone lose track of time when cold when they were surrounded by cold water?

He stepped up to the edge of the bathtub and pulled back the curtain. There was David sitting down underneath the spray of water that was getting colder by the second with blue tinged skin. He blinked up at Kei as if he had just woken up.

"'m sorry. Didn't mean to use that much water." He said, looking almost embarrassed but mostly sleepy. Kei continued frowning but didn't respond. Instead he reached around the stream and turned off the water. Then he rolled up his sleeve and plunged his hand into the freezing water to unplug the drain.

When that was done and the drain was gurgling as water was swallowed, he turned back to David. The boy hadn't moved an inch except to let his head drop back down. The blond was confused now.

"You're going to get sick if you stay there." David sheepishly turned his head.

"I can't move." He whispered. "Don't have the energy to."

Kei reached over for the towel he had set out for the pinkette boy and draped it over his head and shoulders. Then he lifted the petite boy out of the bathtub and set his feet on the rug. David wobbled for a second but stayed upright, which Kei was happy to notice.

He moved the fluffy towel so it was wrapped tightly around David and began rubbing the boy's body. When David was dry Kei sat him down on the toilet lid and used another towel to dry his hair. The pinkette just sat there indifferently as he was slowly able to move his arms and legs.

A t-shirt was slipped over his head and he helped Kei pull his arms through the sleeves. The towel was now pooled around his waist. Then he was lifting one leg at a time as the vampire was slipping a pair of boxers and loose pants onto them. The articles were pulled up to his thighs before Kei was helping him stand and pulling them up the rest of the way.

Everything was done in a comfortable silence, both males used to what was being done. Kei had taken care of three kids after all (really only two because Shinji wouldn't let the 'monster' near him). This had happened to David before so he was just used to people having to help him.

"Did you fall asleep or something?" Kei asked as he grabbed a comb from a drawer and began leading David toward the bathroom door.

"That's what most people would call it because I wasn't fully conscious of my surroundings. But I actually was thinking so deeply that I blacked out. Sometimes it only happens for a couple minutes but other times it's for hours."

Kei only hummed in intrigue as they exited the bathroom. Sho looked at them as the blond vampire sat down on the couch next to him and David kneeled on the floor between Kei's legs. Then he watched feeling a spike of unexplained jealousy as Kei gently took his time combing out the tangles in David's hair, not knowing why he felt as though Kei was ignoring him.

* * *

**Jaded's After Words:** I lied. :) I didn't really proofread it. Got distracted and annoyed less than halfway through. Oh well. :3 I hope you liked the next installment of this story! Please leave reviews!! Uhm I don't like this chapter this much but it :) basically wrote itself! :)

LUVS AND BYE!


	3. How do you lose someone with pink hair?

**Title:** ...it's in debate. Got ideas?

**Author:** Jaded

**Chapter:**3/?

**Pairing:** Sho/Kei

**Rating:** PG-15

**Warnings:** un-beta-ed, language, unusual situations and misuse of objects in some chapters.

**Disclaimer:** Gackt owns Moon Child right? (I guess that means he own Kei too huh? *wiggles eyebrows*)

Jaded's fore- words: Hi all! This is the next chapter. It hasn't been edited because I'm lazy and tired. :P Nyaah! I don't own so don't sue. But now I am happy to say I have a general idea of where this is going and little scenes are planning themselves out and connecting like a puzzle!

I forgets to say this in meh last chapter but THANK YOU!!!! to all that reviewed because with reviews the world keeps spinning. :]

* * *

It had been two days since Sho and Kei found David. Yesterday David moved into what was Kei's bedroom and began to make himself comfortable. Six hours ago Kei awoke to David talking with Sho while playing on a laptop computer he seemed to have been carrying around. Two hours later Sho left to check-up on his brother and Kei decided to take a shower. It's been four hours since then and Kei was ready to pull his hair out. (Which would be quite a sight to see.)

Why was he ready to fly off the handle you might wonder? You see when he emerged from the bathroom after his relaxing shower he found the house to be completely empty. _Completely_. As in no roommate and no fourteen-year-old boy with pink and black hair that was five feet tall but actually looked like he was only twelve years old.

If they lived almost anywhere other than Mallepa that wouldn't be so much of a problem. But they did and that was problematic enough. And if Kei were a human being he would have been able to go out and look for the boy. But he was a vampire and it was sunny. And to top it all off the boy was also part vampire so WHAT THE HELL WAS HE THINKING WHEN LEFT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY!

He had scoured the flat seven times already, the last five times mostly because he really couldn't do anything else and was feeling more than nervous. Now he was pacing in the living room, chain smoking (not like it could harm him), and waiting for Sho to come back and most likely chew his head off. Seriously, the taller man had grown really attached to David in the two days since they'd found him. Sure Kei took care of him, like giving him clothes to wear and making sure he had enough to eat and combing his hair, but Sho was more like the parents best friend who spoiled the kid rotten. He had found the two in a pile of junk food one evening playing video games.

Kei had just lit up the last cigarette of his last pack when the front door opened. He immediately jerked his head in that direction to see . . . Sho. And Kei felt like he was going to die soon, even though he was a vampire.

Sho hung up the leather jacket he'd worn that day before turning around and seeing Distraught Kei. That was cause for alarm on it's own and Sho frowned because Distraught Kei was almost never seen: along with Genuinely Happy, Crying, Smiling, and Dopey. Kei's most frequent expressions consisted of Blank, Mocking, Angry, Reserved, and Self-Loathing. Distraught Kei meant BAD NEWS.

"Kei~," Sho drawled slowly with apprehension. "What's wrong?"

Kei glanced around real quick as if looking for something. An escape route? A person hiding? David?

"Kei?" Sho tried again. The vampire hesitated before composing his face into Blank.

"David's gone." He said evenly. Sho's eyes widened and he couldn't help it.

"You _lost_ him!?! _How_ can a who-knows-how-old _vampire_ lose a _fourteen_-year-old boy? The hell, Kei?!!" Like I said, he couldn't help it. "_How_?"

"I don't know! I took a shower and wasn't paying attention! It's not like a _fourteen_-year-old needs to be watched like they're two. How was I supposed to know he would disappear?" Kei was shouting back.

Sho opened his mouth to retaliate when the mentioned boy walked right in between them with several bulging shopping bags. Neither had noticed that they were standing in front of the door and didn't even realize that it had opened. Kei quirked an eyebrow while wondering if he was slacking or was the boy just that sneaky. Sho scowled and reached out for the back of David's shirt, and old red t-shirt of Kei's.

"Where were you?" He demanded. Then he blinked. He sounded like the boy's father should.

"Shopping." David responded nonchalantly with. He just stood exactly where he had been stopped. "I left a note."

Now Kei felt like an idiot. How had he missed that?

"I put it on the fridge."

Oh that's how.

"I actually thought about just putting a sticky note on Kei's forehead but was worried that the water wouldn't let it stick. Then it occurred to me that I could just use a marker but that would have been washed off. But now I see that all the trouble might have been worth it though."

David turned his head and smirked over his shoulder at the two as he said the last part. Kei scowled now at the jab and Sho, coming out of his ponderings of odd bouts of fatherliness and whatnot, tried not to smile or laugh. It wasn't working so he thought 'What the hell?' and did it anyway. The blonde glared at Sho but inside felt the strange urge to smile. He always did when Sho was happy.

Disregarding his urge Kei glanced around only to notice the pink-haired boy had disappeared again.

"Where's David?" Sho asked when he did the same.

"In here!" The mentioned male called from what was becoming his bedroom.

Kei and Sho followed the voice to the doorway where each stood on opposite sides. A minor flicker of shock passed over Kei's features at what he saw in the room whereas Sho's eyes bugged out of his head. David was completely redoing the décor of everything.

The bed that had previously sat in the middle of the room was pushed against a wall to the right, away from the only window within. The simple white sheets had been stripped from its mattress and instead several new pillows and a new satin sheet set sat messily atop it. The two dressers that had occupied one wall of the room were placed in a corner on the left side of the door and the floor to ceiling lamp was in the corner of space created between them and the wall. Strewn all over the wood floor were various bags tipped on their sides with various contents spilling out, some where completely dumped and cast aside.

"How'd you buy all this?' Sho asked incredulously, eyes looking over everything from new clothes to lamps and CDs.

"With money." David stated in with obviousness. Sho's eyes narrowed and his lips pursed into a half pout.

"I never would have guessed." He deadpanned. "But really, where'd all the money come from?"

"It was mine. I . . . acquired it awhile ago."

David quickly busied himself with whatever he was planning on doing, completely ignoring the two after he spoke. Kei frowned as he got a bad feeling in his stomach about what David had said. He'd used 'acquired' instead of 'earned' and coupled with the tone of his voice and his actions after he confessed, you might say, it implied that he hadn't exactly gotten it working.

* * *

The next evening found David sitting on the floor between Kei's legs as the vampire sat on the couch behind him and played with his hair. David's hazel-green orbs were glued mindlessly to the screen of the television, body slumping in relaxation as his hair was combed through.

"So what's your natural hair color?" Kei asked the pinkette in front of him. David blinked his mind back to earth to register the question before being able to reply.

"…Pink," he drawled sluggishly. "Well, it used to be black but I pissed off a talented friend and now..." He trailed off with a half gesture to his hair.

"Is that why you have these chunks of random black?" Kei wondered aloud, fingering one of the dark locks.

"Yeah..."

"Kei," Sho called as he stepped back into the living room. "That was Toshi on the phone. We have a job to do tonight."

"When?" The blond asked, fingers pausing in David's hair causing the boy to pout.

"In about two hours." Sho responded with a glance at the time on his phone.

"Job?" David questioned, curious now about what was going to happen. He had been getting a little bored, especially since he didn't have his friends near by and he was living in a home instead of the streets.

"Me and Kei are going to leave tonight to fight a gang, steal from them, and get him a meal." Sho said nonchalantly as he flopped onto the couch next the vampire and opened the beer he had brought out with him.

David suddenly wondered how they would react if he drank some. Or stole one of their cigarettes, for that matter. But then another thought occurred to him, riddled with deviousness. He'd wait until he found his friends again to give it away.

"What am I supposed to do?" David whined, turning his head to look at Sho with an obviously disappointed pout at being left behind.

"_You're_ going to stay here until we come back." Kei was the one who answered David, giving the lock he had been toying with a tug. The boy's pout became sulkier.

"But I dun wanna. I'll be bored." David began whining in the most mockingly annoyingly nasal voice he could produce while flopping around on the floor dramatically, generally just throwing a tantrum. "And when I'm bored I do weird things like thinking and watching TV and talking to people on the Internet and causing random scenes of destruction in small spaces and painting walls and-"

"I think we get the idea." Sho interrupted David's rant with amusement, watching the boy throw himself all over the place, even going as far as to jump into Kei's lap and slightly shake the vampire's shoulders. "You're still staying here though."

"Fine," the boy huffed and stuck out his bottom lip. Slowly he slid off the vampire's lap to take his seat on the floor and cross his arms. And hidden under those crossed arms were crossed fingers. And underneath that sulky bent-over posture was a smirk of defiance.

* * *

Two hours later found David sitting in his room, on his bed, messing around on his computer. The two older males had already left trusting that David wouldn't get into trouble. Kei wasn't as convinced as Sho was though that David wouldn't run off and do something stupid. Teenagers were prone to that, and Sho seemed to have forgotten how he had been when he was fourteen.

So five minutes after the front door closed Kei and Sho were waiting underneath David's window. Five minutes later David was caught. Another ten minutes later and the two had left a sulky and pouting David at home. Two minutes after that the pink-haired boy was smirking. He'd gotten caught on purpose.

By getting caught in the act he made it seem like he knew he wouldn't get away with sneaking out and therefore: why try? Well he knew that Sho and Kei thought that that was going through his head. In actuality he knew that when he was caught they'd feel secure believing that he wouldn't try to sneak out again when in actuality he was going to. It was all a ploy.

So with that in mind and the alarm on the outside of his window undisturbed, David sauntered out the front door, locking it behind him. It didn't take long to figure out which way the car carrying the two males went, and then David was following their tracks. He wanted to have some fun and this was how he was going to.

The plan was to follow them, sneak around and watch them pull off the heist, and then get home before them thus evading capture and punishment. It would work if he timed everything right and hopefully nothing happened to detain him.

* * *

"Freaking A," David breathed from his hiding place surrounded by several crates and odd objects. Sho was dodging bullets whizzing by as above him Kei shouted out directions as his spotter.

Then Kei was dropping down from the top of a truck with a roll of his eyes to take an empty gun from Sho. He said something that had the man with braids looking down before storming off in a flurry of bullets. It was interesting watching the two fight as a team, each trusting the other so completely.

The pink-haired boy was so entranced by the two's fighting that he didn't notice the two men behind him.

He was kicked to the floor with an unheard clatter. He quickly looked up to his attackers and immediately recognized them. They were his last meal's friends. And they looked pretty pissed.

"Fuck," David hissed when the taller one reached down and jerked him up by the front of his shirt.

"We haven't seen our friend for a while. Do you think you might know where he is?" The man questioned mockingly. David glared at him before uttering a clear "Fuck you."

The other man leered at the insult, clearly taking it as a suggestion. "Why don't we do just that, Unagi? He escaped last time but this time we'll make sure he doesn't."

David spat at the speaking man, knowing he'd have less than a second to make a move and several decisions flew through his head. He could struggle and make noise thus getting Kei and Sho's attention, but get his ass chewed out later. He could make a clean run for it and get out of the building as fast as possible, risking them giving chase. Or he could attack them, trusting his vampiric side to get him away safely and then run for it.

He did a combination of the three when the two moved to hold him down.

David struggled but didn't make any noise as he attempted to make a clean getaway. He was hindered when one of them grabbed him in a hug with his arms pinned to the sides. The pinkette responded by biting down on the man's collarbone as hard as possible, feeling the bone crack and blood erupt into his awaiting mouth. The man promptly dropped him with a scream and David ran for the closest door, stumbling a little as he tried to steady his footing.

He wasn't quick enough though and was swiftly caught with a gun pressed against his head by the unharmed man.

"Now you're going to cooperate with us this time or we'll not only make this more painful than originally planned but I'll also splatter your brains on the inside of your skull." The man holding him whispered lewdly into his ear. His slimy wet tongue slid over David's ear and the pinkette's stomach lurched.

One of David's hands slid up to grab a hold of the arm wrapped around his shoulders. His claw-like nails dug into the flesh of the man's arm in defiant warning. And the harder David clenched his teeth together the more his dropped fangs dug into his gums. The blood of the man he had bitten had activated his vampiric instincts. He could now smell and hear things his human side wouldn't have.

David heard the bleeding man rapidly approaching and smelled the dizzying scent of his blood soaking his skin and clothing and permeating the air around him. The noxious smell of the arousal of both men diluted the blood's effects and kept David from going into a blood high. And just as the other man stepped up to him Sho and Kei peered around the corner of where they were, obviously attracted by the noise the man had made when he screamed.

"David?" Sho called in confusion. Kei looked pissed beyond all reason. The pink-haired boy lowered his eyes.

"This is none of your business! Leave or I'll-" The man holding David never had a chance to finish what he was going to say before Kei was holding one of Sho's smoking guns and a bullet hole in the man's throat was erupting blood onto David's neck and shoulder. The warm substance slid down his chest and back underneath the protection of his clothing.

The man's face was frozen in shock and gurgling noises spewed over his lips with the crimzon liquid bubbling up inside. The other man screamed and turned to run but several bullets were quickly thrust into his back, his body convulsing as he hit the floor. The man behind David finally gave a choking noise and slid to the ground in a pool of his own blood.

"What were you thinking?" Sho yelled, angrily walking over to tower over David whose eyes were downcast. He cringed lower with every echoing word. "We told you to stay home! You're not a full vampire like Kei. You're not strong enough to do things like this, David! You could have gotten hurt or even died! Doesn't that matter to you? If you want to live with us you can't just do whatever you feel like whenever you feel like-"

"Sho," Kei said quietly, his stern tone cutting off the taller male's rant. By then David was practically trying to curl into himself while still standing. He could tell that even though Kei hadn't said anything to him yet he was just as pissed, if not more, with him.

Sho turned back to David's form to see him trembling and drops of glittering water falling to mix with the blood on the ground. He stepped toward the shaking boy with an utterance of his name. David let his head drop onto Sho's chest as he clung to the braided man's jacket. Two hoarse apologies slipped from the boy's lips before he was sucking his trembling bottom lip into his mouth and nervously (and hungrily) chewing on it. He couldn't figure out why he was always screwing things up whenever something good happened to him.

Kei noticed him drinking his own blood and gently pulled him out of Sho's embrace and into his own. He gave David's jerking body a reassuring squeeze before leaning down to whisper in his ear.

"We'll talk about this later. Go feed."

David nodded once and plodded away to find one of the drugged men's bodies, remaining mute.

"Was I ever like that?' Sho asked as he turned to Kei once the pinkette was out of sight. Kei chuckled a little.

"You have no idea."

* * *

The three sat around a one of the tables outside some small restaurant waiting. For what, David didn't know. He just enjoyed his pizza while trying to act as though what had happened previously never happened at all.

He was just finishing his third slice when a man wearing the oddest of outfits pulled up on a motorized scooter-bike thingy. (And when David thought something was odd you knew it was so because he wore some pretty strange things himself.) I mean the man was wearing orange pants for Kami-sama's sake. They not only stuck out in the midnight crowd but also clashed horribly with his shirt and hat.

The man parked his scooter-y thing before walking over with a curious glance at David. He slammed three rolls of money on the middle of the table and sat down straddling the back of a chair.

"It's not as much as I thought." He said with another glance at David, who hadn't stopped staring wide-eyed at him. He almost laughed at the uncomfortable look the man gave. "Who's the kid?"

"Toshi," Sho addressed the man as. "This is David."

"So Kei decided to take in another street rat, eh?" Toshi playfully questioned.

"Actually Sho wanted to keep him." Kei corrected with a smirk. "We found him in the last gang's warehouse."

"Sleeping in marijuana." David threw in his two cents with a cheerful smile. Toshi gave him a strange look.

"So this is all there was?" Sho interrogated, holding up one of the evenly divided rolls. "You checked all the bodies?"

"Of course!" Toshi responded with. "I don't waste my time with toy cars."

"That was only part of it. Pinky over there is the other part."

"Hey I'm not Pinky!" David exclaimed indignantly. "If anything I'm Brain and my friend is Pinky," As David kept speaking his voice kept dropping lower until he was basically muttering to himself. " . . . Or blondy. She is blonde. But then again my other friend should be considered Brain. So I guess that does make me Pinky. So does that mean we're Pinky, Blondy, and Brain? But then what is Lindsay…?

"What are you talking about?" Toshi asked while looking at David like he belonged in an asylum.

"Idunno."

"Anyway, he followed us and caused a bit of a problem. And speaking of problems, _you_ didn't put enough drugs in the pizza! The guards were still awake." Sho looked at Toshi accusingly, getting up and relocating to a different table.

"We all make mistakes."

Sho glared at him and David watched with interest as he demanded a cigarette with one hand raised in the air. Kei tossed one towards him from the pack and it hit the man with braids right in the face. Toshi examined them like they were from a different planet.

"What are you doing?" He asked and David actually laughed, because for some reason the situation seemed really funny to him. What with the other two males completely ignoring him. Then he fell out of his chair because he lost his balance.

"Fuck!" He exclaimed after his head bounced off the concrete. Two seconds later he resumed laughing only this time it sounded more like a mad cackle.

"I'm going back to work." Grumbled Toshi as he put his previously removed helmet back on and rode away.

"I like him. He amuses me." The pink-haired boy commented from the ground.

* * *

**Jaded's After Words:** So yeah! I'm tired and all so just review please because like I said before, they make the world go round. Loves to ya all and everything. I hoped you liked it!

Also, why is David always getting molested? I mean seriously...

Byes! :)


	4. The Urnicles of Wonderlannia

**Title:** ...it's in debate. Got ideas?

**Author:** Jaded

**Chapter:** 4/?

**Pairing:** Sho/Kei

**Rating:** PG-15

**Warnings:** un-beta-ed, language, unusual situations and misuse of objects in some chapters.

**Disclaimer:** Gackt owns Moon Child right? (I guess that means he own Kei too huh? *wiggles eyebrows*)

**Jaded's fore- words: Just because the beginning of this chapter is serious don't have very high expectations for the rest of it. This chapter is a collaborative work between a couple friends and I. It's basically pure crack…scratch that, it's pure marijuana. Expect some crazy shit that just might kill you from laughter and/or fright.**

**WARNING for this chapter:** Michael Jackson, Crack, ooc, and unbetaed . . . OH! and very fucked up sexual themes. If anyone gets offended by weird shit involving inappropriate, sexual objects and/or happenings then turn around . . . that is, unless you have a sense of morbid curiosity.

* * *

_"Kei!" A familiar voice called from behind the blonde vampire. Kei turned around to see Luka holding a small boy; he couldn't have been more than two, with black hair. Luka was walking towards him with a smile and it was completely genuine._

_"Daddy!" The child squealed while reaching out for Kei and giggling. Luka laughed as the brunette boy was practically trying to fly out of his arms. Kei smiled and pulled the wiggling two year-old into his arms dropping a kiss to the top of his head. The child's small arms locked around his neck and he laid his head on Kei's shoulder._

_Then everything was fading away and the scene was replaced with Luka and Kei on the beach before the sun rose with the blonde vampire pleading him for the black-haired one to keep living, just like in every dream Kei had ever had._

Kei woke with a gasp, his eyes snapping open to view the ceiling above him. He sat up, swinging his legs over the edge of the daybed just as Sho was sitting in the chair next to the bed. Kei sighed and tried to ignore the man sitting there.

"Same dream?" The man with braids asked. Kei shook his head.

"Only at the end. Before that there was a kid and Luka was holding him. He-" Kei faltered and looked up at Sho in confusion. "He called me 'Daddy.'"

Sho opened his mouth to say something when in actuality he had nothing to say so opening his mouth was basically pointless. So he closed it. Long minutes passed and Kei had dropped his head into his hands trying to recall every fading detail of the dream before Sho had actually figured out something to say. By then it was too late because a terrified scream came from David's room.

Kei's head immediately snapped up to exchange a quick glance with Sho before both were flying out of their seats towards the room where the last echoing notes of the sound were coming from.

When they reached the open doorway and looked into the room David was sitting on his bed wrapped in the many layers of his blankets, only his eyes showing, while staring across the room. Kei and Sho followed his frightened gaze only to see a small urn standing against the wall. The two men cautiously approached the shaking boy hidden in a pile of blankets and pillows, wondering why he was panicking over a vase.

As they neared him they began to hear him whispering to himself.

"She's gonna kill me . . . how did I get it? . . . did you know that she's going to kill me? . . . why was it in my backpack!? SHE'S GONNA KILL ME!!!"

David screamed again after that and burrowed even further under all his bed gear so that all that was seen of him was a large lump underneath. Kei carefully sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled the blankets back. Sho was still staring at the urn in confusion.

The blonde vampire found the pinkette curled up in the fetal position on his side with his eyes squeezed shut.

"David," Kei called softly. "What's wrong? Who's going to kill you?"

David immediately flew up into a sitting position and stared at Kei with saucer size eyes. He opened his mouth and was talking a mile a second.

"Okay so, I found the urn in my backpack and see it's my best friend's and she will kill me because it's hers and that's where she keeps her marijuana crops and without her marijuana bad things happen and she acts really weird and if anyone touches her urn she kills you unless you fall in- GET AWAY FROM THERE SHO!!"

The braided man who had been crouching by the urn on the ground and reaching for its lid suddenly stood up and tried to spin around but slipped on one of David's shirts. The pink-haired boy watched with horror as Sho fell backwards as if in slow motion, a surprised look plastered on his face. The closed urn lid slowly opened on its hinges and fell back. Then Sho was falling towards the top. Everything sped up and Sho fell into the opening of the urn, gone a second later. There was the sound of porcelain hitting porcelain and the urn's lid was shut.

There was a second of dead silence.

"Where's Sho!?" Kei yelled standing up and going for the urn. He seemed scared and angry. David immediately jumped up from his bed and blocked his path to the urn.

"He fell into the urn." He calmly told the vampire.

"Fell?" Kei questioned incredulously. "How does a six foot man fall into a vase not even a foot tall?"

"Uh . . . the urn is . . . magical. Did I not mention that before? There's a whole other world in there and I've fallen in there quite a bit. FINALLY SOMEONE BESIDES ME!"

"When will Sho come out?"

" . . . He . . . won't. 'twejustleavehiminthere?"

"WHAT! We're not going to leave Sho in a vase-"

"Urn."

"What?"

"It's an urn. Not a vase. Common misconception."

"Same thing."

"Actually they're not. A vase is used for holding flowers and decorative purposes whereas an urn is for putting a dead person's burned body in, or in this case a whole other world."

"I don't care. I'm going to get Sho."

"You can't. 'sigh' You'll just end up getting lost inside. I'd have to go with you but I really wouldn't like to."

"Too bad. We're going. How do you get in?"

"Open the lid and lean over the top."

Kei frowned but did as he was told and at first nothing happened. Then he was tumbling rapidly through blackness into the urn. When he finally landed it was in a big bowl of salad. He looked up and almost screamed. All around him were giant spiders wearing top hats and bonnets.

Seconds later David landed next to him in the bowl. Kei watched in horror as the biggest, top hat wearing spider lifted up his right feet and placed them on the web underneath, in their direction, and shrank so he was only as big as a super ball. He took another step and was back to being ginormous. It seemed that with every step it took it would change sizes. When he was finally standing on the edge of the bowl staring at David he was small.

The shocked vampire watched as the spider removed his hat and bowed before placing it back onto his head.

"Well howdy doo David!" It exclaimed in a squeaky voice.

"Hi Chicho!" David greeted back enthusiastically. "How're you doin'?"

"Mighty fine, David, mighty fine." The spider, which was called Chicho, responded with.

"You wouldn't happen to have recently seen a man with braids in his hair, would you?" David was questioning while climbing out of the salad bowl, motioning for Kei to do the same, and glancing around as if Sho would just suddenly pop up out of nowhere.

"It just so happens that I have!"

* * *

_Flashback_

* * *

Not but an hour and fifteen minutes ago I was out looking for Nancy, Tiddles, and Secksoarjeeseemaen(5) when out of the sky dropped a man and all I could think was "Not another one!" But I had been hoping for another visit from you though so I was excitedly expecting you or Leader-sama to come back and get him out. But before anyone could come and rescue him from the Pond of Curdled Milk, where he had fallen, Mubble Doo(2), that nasty little monkey, ran by and stole his pants just before the Butter-fly(1) swooped down and carried him off, probably as another addition to its collection of adopted "children." Haven't seen the poor soul since.

1) Butter-fly – a large elongated body of a fly attached to multicolored butter sticks as its wings. Adopts anything it believes needs a home and coddles beyond limit.

5) Pronounced Sex-or-gee-see-men/ Nancy, Tiddles, and Secksoarjeeseemaen are Chicho and Karen(Chicho's wife)'s children from oldest to youngest.

2) Mubble Doo Monkey – an average sized dark blue monkey that likes to steal pants and is supposedly married to Devarniker, the sugar tree. Also lives in Devarniker.

* * *

_End large flashback thingy from Chicho's point of view and whatever_

_

* * *

_

"Well then I guess we have a long way to walk." David commented after he heard Chicho's elaborate (not really) story.

"Yes, Hun," Karen said with honey, looking at David. "Also I've been meaning to ask who your little friend is."

"This is Kei, Karen." David motioned toward the blonde. "He's a vampire."

"That's exciting, now isn't it!" Exclaimed Karen as she clapped her front feet together with a disarming smile of sweetness. "Please David, stay for dinner? Kei, you too?"

Kei was about to decline, thinking of David's eating . . . disorder, the fact that he'd much rather have blood if he were to eat, and Sho trapped pants less with what he thought to be a giant butterfly, but David beat him to accepting. Then the oldest male spider child, Nancy, smacked Kei in the back of the head for his idiocy.

"We're spiders. We may eat food but we drink blood with every meal." Then he was scuttling away, shrinking and growing, to his plate.

Later Kei and David were standing under the family's spider web, waving up at them feeling full and ready to go looking for the lost man. After shouting many thanks David was finally drug away by Kei until the blonde vampire got lost on the prairie and dropped the silent teen onto the ground.

"You can't see anything here!" He exclaimed turning in circles. "I can only see twenty feet in all directions and only hazy shapes and blackness past that! WHY IS THE SUN BLACK!?!?"

"Are you ready to let me lead?" David questioned from where he was sitting cross legged on the ground, examining his fingernails. Kei just huffed and childishly crossed his arms over his chest. Sho must have been rubbing off on him.

David took that as a yes, stood up and brushed the butt of his jeans, took two steps to his left before leaning back and looking up at the sun. He looked at it until his body was bent all the way back in a bridge. Then he looked forward upside-down.

Two seconds later he let his body fall to the ground and pointed above his head.

"We walk that way for fifty meters then take a left into the flavored marijuana crops until we find the river." The pinkette teen stated, staring up at Kei who was staring down at him.

"You figured all that out just doing a backbend?" Kei questioned, an amazed expression on his face.

"No. I did a backbend to pop my back. I just know where the river is and the Butter-fly lives on the other side."

Kei glared at him before offering a hand to help David up.

Twenty minutes later they were facing a very unorganized crop of marijuana. Large and looming as it was David was insisting that they had to go through it. Kei didn't think it would be that good of an idea.

"Just stay close and we'll be fine," the teen said as he took the first step into the forest of dope. Kei followed to his right and when David looked towards the vampire he found a bush instead.

"Goddammit! You stupid bush! You came between us and now he's gonna be lost forever!" David yelled at the stalk, his foot swinging back to kick it.

"Hey yo! It wasn't my fault dawg!" The bush shouted back. "No need to kick meh."

"Raspberry? OHMYGOD! Wassup my homie!! Have you seen Blueberry lately!! That ass owes me some of the best shit!!"

And David completely forgot about Kei and Sho in favor of talking to his bush homies.

* * *

With Sho things weren't as grand though. He had been knocked out when he tried to get away from the giant Butter-fly and when he woke up he was alone in a giant nest. But not even ten seconds afterwards he realized his pants were gone.

Something sniffled next to him and he looked down to see a tiny marijuana plant with only a couple leaves and a small blueberry hanging like a tear.

"It stole-ed me from my momma." It sniffled again. Sho looked at it like it would attack him before scooting away.

Then, looking over the edge with every intention to leave, he found a line of six inch tall pickles walking toward the nest. The one in front seemed to be drilling them or something.

"Sound off!" He squeaked.

"Pick-"

"ULL-"

"Luff-"

"A-"

"Lump-"

"A-"

"KUS!"

"ALL TOGETHER NOW!" The first one squeaked again.

"Pickleluffalumpakus!"

Then they were marching straight up the side of the nest, over the edge, and down the inside wall. They circled up when they reached the other side of the nest and immediately dropped to the ground to curl up. Not long after that they were snoring.

In the next five minutes after that creatures of every kind were entering the nest to settle down for what seemed to be the night. By the end Sho was surrounded by the Pickleluffalumpakuses, birds with tupperware bodies, a family of glockenspiels worshipping a guitar with David's name on it, a thick silver chain that hissed at him, and a pink carebear that had decided to sleep in his pants less lap. Then he heard a very frightening sound, the loud "KUHKAHHHH!" of the Butter-fly.

Seconds later it landed above him and reached down into his lap to remove the carebear only to drag him out right afterwards and drop him into a hot spring.

"Kuhkaaahhh!" It cooed while nudging a bar of honey scented soap towards him with a claw, very bird of prey like it was.

Sho hesitated for a second in confusion before quickly stripping off his curdled milk soaked clothes and washing. When the Butter-fly had decided he was clean enough it was nudging him out and wrapping his nude body with a large, blanket sized, fluffy towel. It left soon after and returned with a clean pair of clothes, without the pants, in the exact same style of what he would wear as pajamas to bed. So under the Butter-fly's intense scrutiny Sho dressed, pulling on the boxers and t-shirt he had been given.

When all that was done he was being ushered back to the nest where he found a miniature nest of blankets where he had been sitting before. With a stern shove from the Butter-fly he was scrambling into bed and curling up, trying to fight off sleep to with the soft warmth surrounding him. But then the Butter-fly was dropping an enormous blanket over the nest so it was like sleeping in a giant tent and Sho could not resist the temptation of oblivion any longer.

* * *

On the far side of the urn Mubble Doo had entered a very secret lair only known to some but difficult to find even though a large flashing neon sign told the urn world what it was. He easily found the person he was looking for in a freezer hidden in the shadows.

"What do you come for?" A voice called out to Mubble Doo. Mubble Doo, being the intelligent monkey that he was, signed out the question:

"Where have my yellow dildo-shaped bananas been taken?"

The mysterious voice "Hmm"-ed before asking if the monkey had payment for his information. To this Mubble Doo held out Sho's leather pants like an offering. Suddenly a hand shot out of the freezer and took the pants, looking them over before taking them as payment.

"Inside the Wiezstershchnitzlezz's cave hidden below the whirl pool at the river's source of water."

Then Mubble Doo was being dismissed but before he could leave the hidden figure put on the pants it had been given and being Mubble Doo he couldn't help but twitch with the urge to steal the pants. Suddenly he couldn't hold it back anymore and with a mad monkey cackle he stole the pants and ran from the freezer as fast as he could, cackling the whole way.

* * *

Kei exhaustedly climbed onto the bank of the river panting and smelling of coffee. You see he hadn't known that the river was actually coffee because the soil that the marijuana crops grew in was coffee grounds so it made the river turn into coffee and now his clothing was completely stained with coffee.

Kei collapsed on the ground once he was all the way out of the river before looking up to see David animatedly talking to a large circle of marijuana plants. Growling in displeasure he heaved his body off the ground and trudged over to David.

"OHMYGOSH DAWG! I'd thought you were gone forever!" David exclaimed, dramatically jumping up and hugging Kei in a crushing embrace. The blonde vampire stumbled back, startled. It was such a strangely cute thing for David to do that he hugged the teen back. Right after his arms wrapped around David though a cackling, dark blue monkey whizzed by wearing a pair of pants on his head with his arms thrown up and scared the crap outta him.

"What was that?" He asked in a rush.

"Mubble Doo." David mumbled sleepily into Kei's coffee soaked shirt. Coffee scent made him tired.

All the marijuana bushes around the two and in the monkey's path cleared away. Kei's eyes followed after Mubble Doo but he only saw a giant tree that looked like one a child would draw.

He carefully set David's half asleep form on the ground before walking up to the tree. Looking up he saw every kind of fruit imaginable. There were grapes, cumquats, apples, oranges, bread fruit, coconuts, mangos, melons, cantaloupe, and every other fruit that existed in the world. He had walked around its trunk once before David stumbled over.

"Don't walk around it three times." He warned before sitting down. Kei didn't hear him or was just ignoring him because he continued to circle. He stopped after his second one and looked at the barely awake pinkette teen.

"What is this?" He asked.

"Dev-'yawn'-arniker, the sugar tree. He's Mubble Doo's wife/husband, supposedly, and the sugar tree."

Kei 'Oh'-ed and walked around the tree once more. Immediately powdered sugar began falling softly from Devarniker's limbs like snow.

"I-'yawn'-told you not to walk around him three times."

"Is this fruit actually fruit?" Kei questioned while pointing to a bundle of grapes.

"Nope. Once plucked it turns into sugar. 'yawn' Hey, throw me a pixie stick." David ordered while pointing to the paper covered things hanging amongst the fruit. Kei grabbed a random one and chucked it at David.

" . . . feet?" The pinkette asked himself as he read the label on the pixie stick. Then he shrugged, not caring if it did taste like them, and tore it open to eat. When he was done he threw the empty wrapper onto the ground where it was instantaneously consumed.

"When does it stop . . . snowing?" Kei inquired after getting annoyed with the powdered sugar sticking to his wet clothes and making him sticky.

"When it starts raining." Was David's almost smartass response.

"When will it start to rain?" Kei tried again walking around the tree in the opposite direction. The snow stopped and skittles began falling from Devarniker. At the same time a rainbow shot over the extremely wide coffee river as a kind of bridge. David jumped up when he saw this and grabbed Kei.

"This is our chance!" He exclaimed, running for the rainbow.

"For what?"

"To cross."

If Kei hadn't seen so many odd things since he entered this "urn" than he would have thought the bridge was unstable but knowing this world it would be just as stable as if it were concrete.

They had only made it halfway over before a strange war cry was sounded from behind them. Both vampiric creatures turned around to find the Lucky Charms leprechaun leading a battalion of rabid carebears in every color imaginable and not.

"Run!" David screamed and took off in the opposite direction. Kei had no choice but to follow. They both feared being sacrificed to whatever god if caught by the battalion of carebears.

* * *

When Sho woke up that . . . morning the blanket had been removed from its place over the nest and the moon was just setting. There was a click and the black sun was back on, providing its bright but strangely dim light.

Carefully, Sho sat up and glanced around, finding everything asleep. So with every intention of escaping again he ran as fast as he could from the nest, careful not to make a sound. And guess what? He successfully made it away! But then he was lost.

* * *

"Are you feeling sleepy?" David randomly asked after a whole night of walking through marijuana crops. They were finally thinning out though.

"No, why?" Kei asked before yawning.

"Because we're walking underneath the Snoozing Mitzsterfiffles," the pinkette teen explained while pointing upward.

The blonde vampire looked above and found jungle-like tree branches intertwined overhead. And clinging to them amongst the large heart-shaped leaves were soccer ball-size pink, purple, and blue fuzz balls with circular faerie wings attached to the top of them. Big eyelids a shade darker than their bodies were closed contentedly. Various snores were softly heard from them.

"Mitzstefiffles?" Kei questioned with a hint of nervousness.

"It's okay. They're harmless but will make you extremely sleepy so that you sleep like you're dead for several more hours than you normally would. In fact they make quite cuddly bed partners when you're having trouble sleeping. Send you right off to dream land. And they're easier to take care of than a cat. All you have to do is feed them the sour juice-nuts of the Bong-Bong Tree."

Kei gave David a strange look as the teen bent over and scratched behind one of the Mitzsterfiffles' round ears. The thing began purring happily.

"I've always wanted one. There's this special one that's actually tie-dye colored and it took a liking to me as soon as we met. It's just simply adorable."

Kei rolled his eyes and kept walking but when he didn't hear David behind him he had to turn around to see what had happened to him.

His face immediately fell into one of exasperation when he saw the boy curled up on the ground snoozing away with a blue Mitzsterfiffle. The Mitzsterfiffle mewled softly in David's arms and snuggled closer. Kei face palmed.

He walked over to David intending on picking him up and carrying him if he had to but a pink Mitzsterfiffle fell right onto his head and its fuzziness knocked him right out.

* * *

About two miles away from where Kei and David were snuggled up with the Mitzsterfiffles Sho had walked onto a large circular patch of fake grass that changed colors with every step he took. (3) In the middle of this small field was a sign standing crookedly in a circle of sand. On top of it were eight egg rolls and a single sub-sandwich placed standing up like menorah candles.

"No Loitering!" Read the sign in ominous orange letters.

Sho, for some reason, decided to disobey the sign, which was not a very good idea when in the urn. Foreboding music began to play in the background, the only sound among the silence.

_Ferris wheels and bumper cars are fun_

_But those rides just aren't for everyone_

_Lost my tickets Imma have a run_

_In the maze~_

_(Whoooo!)_

The sand began spinning underneath Sho's feet and he was suddenly sucked into a tunnel hidden under the grass. It was slippery and slide-like. Light at the end of the tunnel was what awaited Sho and then he was thrown out into a cave filled with romantic music. Suddenly Michael Jackson walked out of a side room wearing his "Thriller" costume.

"Hey there sexy." He tried to say sexily. Sho screamed bloody murder and tried to claw his way back up the slide.

3) It's mood grass. Changes color when you walk on it.

* * *

"I can't believe we slept for a whole day because of those things." Kei ranted angrily as him and David walked again at night. In front of him David was munching on cheese from the moon that followed them in the black, starless sky.

"Don't blame the Mitzsterfiffles. Neither of us had been getting very good sleep before that. You're more immune to their effects if you've been getting good rest."

David was pouting still because he had to leave his friend who had found them while they were sleeping. He really wanted that tie-dye Mitzsterfiffle.

"We don't have to walk if we don't want to, ya know." David said while suddenly stopping dead in his tracks while still bearing a look of indifference.

"Really?" Kei asked with interest. Walking sure was slow.

"Yeah but we have to get a special key from Los before we can stop walking."

Kei had known there was a catch.

"And where is this 'Los?'"

"Right there." David said, pointing ahead of him where a man with a white body and black face was walking by. He was dressed in only boxers and a trench coat made out of a shower curtain with rubber duckies and pink bubbles on it. His hair was in braids and a black snake-tail like tentacle curved from his upper back, over his head to hold a lantern in front of him. Behind him trailed empty ice-cream boxes, the end somewhere lost in the blackness beyond.

"Los!" David called as he ran up to the man. "What are you doing out of your freezer?"

"Hmm?" Los hummed, a little slow on the uptake. "Mubble Doo stole the pants he had given me as payment so I need to find him."

"Ooohkay~ So Los can I have the key to the Lickotehcocomobile?"

"What do you have to give me?"

"Uhhhh . . . " David thought for a second before pulling out an ice-cream cone from nowhere. "Marijuana flavored ice-cream."

"Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" Los squealed as he jumped for the cone. David held it out of reach.

"The key first Los."

"Yes yes yes! Here it is!" The man gave David a blue dildo attached to a keychain before getting handed his precious ice-cream cone. Seconds later he was running off screaming like a schoolgirl, the boxes behind him rattling along.

"What is that?" Kei asked with suspicion while eyeing the penis shaped piece of rubber.

"A key." Was David's simple response as he leaned out in front of him, looking both ways. Then the pinkette was raising up his hand and giving their surroundings the birdie.

"What are you doing?"

"Hailing the Lickotehcocomobile. It should be showing up soon."

Kei didn't care enough this time to give David a strange look or roll his eyes. But strangely enough a cardboard-like cutout made of chocolate in likeness of a car pulled up next to David, its licorice wheels bouncing along happily.

David opened the door and slid so that he was sitting in front of the steering wheel. The pinkette teen handed a licorice rope to Kei once the blonde vampire was settled in.

"Buckle up." Was all he said while tying the rope around his waist and feeding the excess licorice to a mouth that had suddenly appeared between the two passengers. Kei was quick to follow and had just barely finished feeding the mouth before David inserted the key into the ignition, a vagina. Split second later they were speeding off.

"There's only five speeds with this thing." David explained as he drove the Lickotehcocomobile. "Fast, faster, Solar system on Crack-like Marijuana, Caffeine, and snail. So hold on."

The next five minutes of Kei's life were the scariest of his life. Almost nothing could compare because Sho's insane driving could never compare to this kind of driving.

* * *

Sho was terrified. Insanely so. Michael Jackson was approaching him, his long, white, disgusting fingers curling like claws in his direction. The way the freak was looking at him made him feel violated alone. The poor six-foot tall man could have cried at the predicament he was in.

But then another set of hands, less doom impending and smaller, grabbed at the shoulders of his shirt and he was pulled safely up the slide, out of Michael Jackson's clutches. He heard the banshee scream of MJ echo up the slide and almost blow his eardrums as he was pulled farther and farther away from the light at the end of the death sentence tunnel.

Sho almost cried with relief when they were back on the mood grass.

"Che." The person who had pulled him from Michael Jackson's grasp scoffed. Sho turned around to find a preteen looking girl wearing a red, jaggedly cut skirt and matching spaghetti strap belly shirt. Her hair fell to her shoulders, straight and neat, and around her eyes was dark red eyeliner. Fluttering softly behind her were see-through wings.

"You're such a crybaby. Michael Jackson is a lot like Chuckie," she jerked a finger over her shoulder where behind her a doll with red hair was attempting and failing at hiding behind a bush. "Basically harmless after you dropkick him."

"Who are you?" Sho inquired feeling just a little freaked out by the girl.

"The Urn Faerie! Duh."

"So what's your name?"

"I have one but only a couple people know it. One of them not being you!" She smiled brightly only serving the purpose to make her look like a serial killer. "You should meet my Sheedallamasaurus!"

The Urn Faerie grabbed Sho's hand and ran off in the direction of Chuckie, dragging the braided man behind. They ran past the demonic doll and around a corner of a triangular podium to see a very odd sight.

Grazing on top hats growing like daisies was a very strange creature. The strangest Sho had seen yet. It had a Llama's head and neck that was attached to a very long body that was eastern dragon-like but instead of being covered in scales it was covered in fluffy yellow wool. Its tail was scaled though, as were its carnivorous dinosaur like legs. Standing on its back was a green chicken with three legs and three eyes.

"Oh and that's Freddward, my pet chicken." She said as the only explanation for the mutated bird. Freddward turned his head in Sho's direction and roared like a dinosaur, making Sho jump. When he was done he resumed staring at the Sheedallamasaurus' neck.

"He likes you."

* * *

"We're gonna crash!" Kei shouted as the Lickotehcocomobile hit its fastest speed, Caffeine. Right ahead of them was a large looming creature covered in yellow wool.

"No we're not!" David shouted back and suddenly the car slowed down so quickly that Kei and David both were flung forward. "See. I told you so."

Now that the Lickotehcocomobile was only moving at a snail's pace David untied his belt, which was quickly slurped up by the mouth hovering next to him. Then the pinkette was jumping out of the thin-air seat onto the ground. Kei hurried to follow before the car sped up again, except he had to use the door.

"That's the Sheedallamasaurus. There's only one in the urn and it's owned by the Urn Faerie, which means she should be close by." David explained as he pointed at the animal.

"David!!" A girl's voice squealed and a girl dressed in red appeared around the Sheedallamasaurus.

"Urn Faerie!!!" David squealed and the two were jumping into each other's arms.

"Kei!" Sho cried as he threw himself at the vampire. Tears leaked from the corners of his eyes.

"Sho?" Kei questioned as he placed one of his hands on top of the other man's head.

"It was all so scary Kei." Sho sobbed into Kei's coffee stained shirt.

"Well," David said, breaking the emotional moment. "Lets go home. I'm tired of this place."

The Urn Faerie nodded, understanding that being from the mortal world David would eventually get annoyed by the urn world.

"Get on the Sheedallamasaurus everybody! We're gonna blow this Popsicle stand!"

Minutes later all were on the Sheedallamasaurus as it ran gracefully along the ground so that it was more like flying than riding something that ran. Less than ten minutes later the Sheedallamasaurus was stopping at some random wall where there was an erection sticking out of the wall next to a pair of boobs which were next to a set of closed doors.

The Urn Faerie walked up and pulled the cock down like a lever and one of the boobs next to it sprayed milk all over Kei. The Urn Faerie laughed.

"Noob."

"Now we wait," David stated as a chair popped up from the ground for him to sit in.

Suddenly everyone that Sho, Kei, and David had met in the urn showed up and led by the Urn Faerie they performed an improv musical. The spiders tap danced, the Mitzsterfiffles bounced around like super balls to 19-2000 (Soulchild Remix) from Gorillaz, the carebears did a song from Cats, the Sheedallamasaurus square danced with a giant Koi fish, and everyone else just kinda made up everything as they went.

It really helped to pass the time while waiting for the urnavator to ding and alert everyone that it was there. When that did happen the musical ended with a bang from Michael Jackson and some Thriller moves before the carebears carried him off to sacrifice him to their god, the giant Koi fish.

There were tearful goodbyes between David and the Urn Faerie, Freddward the chicken even jumped into Sho's arms to say goodbye by trying to peck his eye out. Kei shooed him away.

Then right as everyone was boarding the urnavator the tie-dye Mitzsterfiffle that David loved oh-so much climbed into his arms with big, pleading eyes. David turned to Sho and Kei with the same eyes. Kei tried to look stern and Sho looked almost afraid of the Mitzsterfiffle. In the end David got to keep him. The Urn Faerie even gave him a giant bag of sour juice-nuts from the Bong-Bong Tree to feed the little guy for months.

The end came and soon the three males were being tossed out of the urn (Literally, because the urnavator actually only goes to the rim of the urn and a giant spring inside throws you out of the urn.) and back into David's room. The Mitzsterfiffle, sensing how tired they all were begun to work its charms and soon everyone was in their beds passed out after several long urn-days. Really it had only been eighteen hours since they fell in.

David named the Mitzsterfiffle Bob (4). Bob liked it.

4) Actually his name was Bob Lobosoffolus Mitzsterfiffle, but Bob for short. XD

* * *

**Jaded's after words:** I told you! My friends and I must have been on something when we came up with this. I was cracking up the whole time I was writing it. Downside of this though is that now I really want a Mitzsterfiffle. :'( Also Freddward scares me.

Also I was going to post this the same time as my other chapter for my other fic but...


	5. The next day or so

**Title:** ...it's in debate. Got ideas?

**Author:** Jaded

**Chapter:** 5/?

**Pairing:** Sho/Kei

**Rating:** PG-15

**Warnings:** un-beta-ed, language, unusual situations and misuse of objects in some chapters.

**Disclaimer:** Gackt owns Moon Child right? (I guess that means he own Kei too huh? *wiggles eyebrows*)

**J****aded's fore- words:** This is the next chapter. I don't expect much from it. I know it's quite a bit shorter than usual. That's because I'm having trouble going somewhere with it so I'm going to post what I have and start a new chapter soon. All that's left to say now is uhm, enjoy I guess.

* * *

The next day the three males all woke to the same thing. A banging noise coming from the front room. Sho and David opened their bedroom doors at the same time just to see Kei walk by the end of the small hallway. They quickly followed him to the front door where the noise was coming from. The person on the other side seemed to take a split second break.

Kei yanked the door open just as Toshi, the person on the other side, was about to put everything he had into knocking on the door thus causing him to land flat on his face in front of the three half awake males. Sho just stared at the prone body on the floor in front of him, not awake enough to comprehend too much yet. Kei closed the door, kicking the pizza boy's feet out of the way as David chuckled sleepily.

From where Toshi was lying sprawled on the ground a mumbling noise rose into the air where not even the vampire was able to decipher its meaning. Instead the blonde stepped over the body and walked over to a chair in the living room and plopped down. David and Sho followed but instead took the couch.

Grumbling angrily Toshi heaved himself up and stomped to where everyone was sitting.

"Where the hell have you guys been? I've been trying to get a hold of you for more than a day!" The man yelled at the obviously unaffected others around him.

Sho yawned and David shifted so that he was lying down, curled up on the couch with his head in Sho's still pantsless lap. It was that movement that drew Toshi's attention to the strangeness of the whole situation.

"Why are you pantsless?" The pizza boy directed at Sho. "What smells like stale coffee and sugar? And what is that thing in Pinky's arms?!?"

It was this last question that had Sho and Kei startled into more awareness. They both simultaneously directed their gazes at the pinkette teen on the couch holding Bob, the _Mitzsterfiffle_. It was Kei who spoke first.

"That's his, uhm-

"Cat." Sho supplied when Kei seemed to have trouble with an adequate lie.

"Cat?" Toshi looked doubtful.

"Yes, his name is Bob Lobosoffolus Mitzsterfiffle. But just call him Bob for short." David provided while nuzzling his face into Bob's tie-dye fluff. The thing began purring and Toshi decided it would just be best for his health if he dismissed the . . . thing. If they said it was a cat, then it could be a cat.

"So why where you trying to contact us again?" Sho prompted Toshi after yawning. Toshi took the last remaining seat next to Kei before speaking again.

"You know that big job I had lined up? Well now I know when it's gonna happen. Be ready in four days."

When he really received nothing from Kei or Sho except a half nod, Toshi decided it was time to get out of there.

"I have to get back to work so I'll see you later." The pizza boy commented as he stood and headed for the door. "I don't care where you've been but next time you decided to leave at least tell me."

"Toshi," Sho called before the man could leave, getting his attention. "Take care."

The man with braids ran a finger down the side of his nose and gave what looked to be a half wave, two fingers slightly curled and the other two sticking up with his thumb. Toshi smiled at the gesture and returned it. Then he was gone with a yawn and David sniffled tiredly, rubbing his nose against Bob.

"Go put Bob back in your room David," Kei said quietly as everyone in the room began to feel the effects of the Mitzsterfiffle again.

Without a word the teen rolled off the couch into a standing position and stumbled back into his room, the door closing with a slight bang. Kei lit a cigarette from a random pack lying around after he left and chuckled a bit. Sho opened one of his eyes, which had closed when Toshi had left, and gave the blonde a look.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Us. We all need to shower. I smell like stale coffee, you probably do too from when you hugged me, and David's hair's a complete mess. And how did you come up with 'Cat?' What kind of cat has four inch long fur, that's pink, purple and blue tie-dyed, and has wings?"

Sho chuckled at that also.

"What I don't get is how Toshi even believed me with a description like that."

Kei smiled before placing the cigarette back to his lips.

The comfortable silence between the two was broken when David again stumbled out only to disappear with Bob into the bathroom across the hall. Seconds later though he was tripping out of the room, without Bob, and walking into the kitchen. Kei heard the freezer door open and the sound of ice clinking together in a container. Then David staggered out of the kitchen and Kei watched as he carried a bowl of ice into the bathroom, staring at it intently, before closing the door behind him.

"What the hell is he doing?" Sho asked. Kei looked over to see that the man hadn't even opened his eyes and was now fully resting against the back of the couch, arms spread out across the top and everything.

"No clue." Kei mumbled, standing up and tearing his eyes away from the sight his housemate and friend presented. His subconscious carefully filed the image away for reference later.

When he had gotten up Kei had fully intended to go to the kitchen and . . . well he really didn't know what but it felt like he should go in there. Instead though, his feet had taken him to stand in front of the bathroom door. There wasn't much noise coming from inside the room: only David's breathing and some shuffling.

Then David grunted a little in pain and there was a lack of sound, mainly air rushing out of one's lungs. Kei frowned as he reached for the doorknob and eased the door open.

The sight that greeted him was quite a strange one. Bob was dozing contentedly on the toilet seat and David was standing in front of the mirror with various odd supplies for something on the counter around the sink. They consisted of a bottle of rubbing alcohol, cotton balls, a small container, a lighter, and the bowl of ice. The teen himself had his head slightly turned so that Kei couldn't see what he was doing even with the aid of the mirror.

The pinkette let his held breath hiss out through clenched teeth as he fumbled with something that was on the side of his head. The side Kei couldn't see. And it was then that the blonde vampire realized he smelled a tinge of blood in the air and that David's stick-up-in-every-angle-imaginable hair was neatly pinned down around his ears with hair clips.

Kei watched as David took a deep breath, blinked, and then yanked his hand forward. Clutched between his thumb and two fingers was a large safety pin. The smell of blood grew slightly. Then as quick as the pinkette could he was dropping the pointy object carelessly onto the counter and wetting a cotton ball with the rubbing alcohol. He lifted it and rubbed the liquid over what Kei could only assume to be his ear.

"What are you doing?" Kei asked and stepped into the room, finally making his presence known. Bob cracked one eye open to glance at him before going back to sleep. Kei closed the door behind him.

Without answering, David reached into the container and pulled out an ear stud, which he swiftly raised to his ear and inserted.

"Piercing my ear." He replied with when he was done, wiping up his ear again with the cotton ball.

The pinkette turned then and it was that moment Kei saw the glittering dark-blue stud in the top of his ear, right through the cartilage.

"I never could understand how people could do those things." Kei commented with a shake of his head.

"Easy," David stated with a smartass grin. "You just stab something sharp and pointy through the skin you want pierced."

Kei gave him a look that didn't deter David even the slightest. A second passed and the blonde vampire became curious. He reached out toward the newly pierced ear but didn't even come close to touching it before the pinkette teen was ducking away and slapping his hand.

"Don't touch it! 'tstill tender." He cried as he cupped both of his hands around his mentioned ear. Kei just raised an eyebrow at the glare David was trying to inflict pain upon him with. But when Kei made no other move to mess with his piercing he dropped his hands and carefully studied the vampire's face.

"You'd look really hot with you ear pierced, you know."

Kei choked on nothing.

"You're not stabbing me in the ear David."

"But what if I want to?" The teen pouted at obvious rejection to his idea.

"Still no."

"Sho would like it." David smirked.

"What?" Kei asked, wondering if he heard right. Why would he care if Sho would like his ear pierced?

"Nothing. But seriously, it's fun. And I can make it so it doesn't hurt too bad."

"The answer's will always be no, no matter what you say, David."

Pinky pouted for a full two seconds before snatching the safety pin from the counter and lunging at Kei. Thus began David's quest to pierce Kei's ear.

* * *

Outside Sho had just been walking back to his bedroom to go back to sleep when he heard the scuffle taking place inside. Immediately he felt a suspicious curiosity bubble up from within. The man with braids stopped in his tracks and cast a sideways glance at the door. Feeling jealousy creep into his chest and make the muscles in his back and chest tighten Sho stomped into his room and slammed the door shut, the sound ignored by the two battling males in the bathroom.

Besides being jealous Sho was angry because he couldn't figure out whom he was more jealous of. Kei for being able to get so close to David without doing barely anything. Or David for getting Kei to open up more than he'd been able to.

* * *

That night (coughearlymorningcough) Kei lay on the day bed fingering the already healed piercing in his ear. After making a complete mess of the bathroom the blonde vampire had finally let the teen pierce his ear. Now a diamond-white stud glittered in the left lobe. David was going to give him more earrings when Kei got used to having one in his ear.

But lets get onto the subject of why the vampire was laying awake and staring at the ceiling. He was thinking about the dream he had had about . . . well he didn't know how long ago it really was considering the Urn completely fucked up his and Sho's sense of time. Really though, he couldn't stop thinking about it. As far as he could remember neither of them had had children before Luka died. Which didn't make sense because then why would the kid call him 'Daddy' and be with Luka.

It was annoying him because the more he thought about it the more Kei felt as though a part of his memory-his life-was missing. And the worst part was that he _couldn't_ stop thinking about it. Asleep it was replacing the dreams of Luka's death. Awake it was hidden in the back of his mind to be pondered upon when alone. So basically whenever David wasn't doing something weird or Sho was out visiting his brother or buying cigarettes.

Frustrated Kei rolled over onto his side and glanced at the curtains hanging on the other side of the bars in the partition. They were already glowing slightly from the sun approaching the horizon. But there was still at least and hour and a half of blue-blackness that could give him cover.

With unsure incentive Kei sat up and slipped his feet into the worn boots he'd had for forever and stood up. Swiftly he grabbed his jacket from were it was hanging next to the door and left for a quick walk.

* * *

"We need to go to the store." David said as he walked out of the kitchen and into the living room where Kei and Sho were watching, but not really, TV.

"Why?" Sho asked and took a drink of the beer in his hand.

"Because I can't live off of beer, cigarettes, and ramen." David explained like the smart ass he was. "Well I probably could it just would suck a lot."

Sho glared at David who stuck out his tongue.

"Oh it's on ya little monkey!" Sho exclaimed and stood up, going for David who ran away with a fake scream.

"Yeah, and I'm so scared."

Kei just shook his head at them and leaned over the arm of his chair to carefully pull the curtain open a little. The sun had just set. He glanced at the clock on the wall next to the hallway to see the exact time. With a final drag from his cigarette he ground the thing out in an ashtray nearby and stood up.

"Go get ready children. The grocery store will be closing soon."

On the floor Sho was temporarily distracted from sitting like a dead weight on David's back to pin him down and was easily thrown off by a very wiggly pinkette teen. Once David was free he ran like a maniac into his room to change out of his pajamas, that he'd been wearing all day, and find a pair of shoes.

Twenty minutes later by car the three of them were in the eye of Mallepa. It was where everything was calm and the only area of town that gangs chose not to fight in. It was almost like a code actually and if you caused problems in this part of town the gangs would each come after you, one by one. So it was only fitting for this to be where the largest grocery store was and most of Mallepa's large commerce.

"So what are we getting?" Sho asked as he grabbed a cart to put the groceries in.

"Not much." David said in response and began his search for delicious food.

* * *

**Jaded's after words:** Yeah I know it sucks. Tell me so in a review though.


	6. Heist Interrupted

**Title:** ...it's in debate. Got ideas?

**Author:** Jaded

**Chapter:** 6/?

**Pairing:** Sho/Kei

**Rating: **PG-15

**Warnings:** un-beta-ed, language, unusual situations and misuse of objects in some chapters

**Disclaimer:** Gackt owns Moon Child right? (I guess that means he own Kei too huh? *wiggles eyebrows*)

**Jaded's fore- words: _SURPRISE AGAIN! _soubi HUZZAH!!! XD Tis the next chapter people've been waiting for. I finally have it up! Yayfullness for me! *claps hands* Tell me how much you all love me for this. And tell 0928soubi at docomo.**()**ne**()**.jp** (remove () ) how much you love her too! Because if it wasn't for her beating me so well with a stick this would have come out a LOT later. *shivers* D

**

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_Squeak! Squeak! Thump! Squeak! Thump! Squeak! Squeak! Thump! Squeak!_

"What are you doing?"

Sho watched, leaning in the doorway of David's bedroom, as the pink-haired teen jumped up and down on the bed.

"_Squeak! Thump! Squeak! Thump! Squeak! Thump!"_ Was his answer. David probably assumed the question was rhetorical.

"Okay…. What have you eaten today?" Sho tried again.

David's jumping came to an abrupt stop and he just kind of bounced up and down as the mattress gave under the sudden cease of movement. Probably had something to do with inertia or something. The mattress would keep moving until an external force stopped it or something. David stared at Sho as he bobbed on the bed. Sho never had any real schooling.

"Three Red Bulls, four pounds of chocolate, eight SoBe energy drinks, five Rockstars, a bag of chips, _*Squeak!* *Thump!*_ an entire bowl of salsa, _*Squeak!* *Thump!*_ nine yogurt cups,_ *Squeak!* *Thump!*_ three mini pizzas,_ *Squeak!* *Thump!*_ a jar of pickle juice, ahhhhhhnnnd fifteen Frappuccinos!" (1)

Sho's blue eyes bobbed as David continued jumping, speaking with slight breathlessness as he practically spit the words out.

"I'm sofuckinghyperrightnow!!!"

"Have you fed recently?"

"Nope! I plan to later tonight though!"

David jumped big - going so high his head almost the flat's unusually high ceiling - and landed too close to the edge of the bed. His foot slipped, his eyes widened, and he toppled right off the bed into the garbage from his junk food consumption spree. Cans and glass bottles clanged and rolled around while empty yogurt cups and a chip bag were squashed as David rolled around and laughed until his face was red and he couldn't breathe and his body was completely limp, convulsing with his laughter.

Sho looked at him with a raised eyebrow, wondering if he'd done something other than eating to make him this way.

"coughcrackheadcough," Sho pretended to cough.

"Am not!" David said, suddenly sitting upright and pouting.

"Yeah, whatever."

David pouted some more before standing up looking fine from the fall and brushed the butt of his pajamas off.

"Do you know how to use this?" Sho asked, getting to the point of why he'd come to David's room. He tossed a handgun to David. David, just finishing with his dirt brush easily caught the gun.

"I grew up in Mallepa too," David responded and spun the gun around on his finger before tossing it back to Sho.

Sho tossed it back.

"Good. Get dressed."

David stood there with wide eyes holding the gun in both of his hands, having awkwardly caught it when it hit his stomach unexpectedly. Sho stepped back to walk away just as Kei appeared next to him. He noticed the handgun in David's hands and frowned in disapproval.

"Why does David have a gun?"

"He's going to need some protection if he's coming with us," Sho said and started walking down the hall to the living room.

"Are you fucking insane Sho?!" Kei yelled. "He can't come on a heist. He's only fourteen!"

"And I was sixteen when you started teaching me to fight. It's only two years," Sho said. "Besides, would you rather he snuck out and came after us again. And he needs to feed tonight too."

"Sho, Goddammit. You can't just decide this without telling me."

"Hey, you said when you found him that I had to take care of him. So I am. I'm taking him out to feed."

"Sho-" Kei started but stopped himself with a sigh and a pinch to the bridge of his nose. "Establish some ground rules at least."

Then he was walking away with a huff. Sho looked at David, who was standing there stunned.

"Get dressed. Five minutes."

He walked away too, following Kei.

Seven minutes later found David wearing a pair of black jeans, combat boots, a red wifebeater, and his dark green, camouflage army jacket sitting in the back of Sho's car.

"Rules," Kei prompted, staring out his window since the car's top was up.

"Right," Sho said glancing in the rearview mirror at David. "Stay close by unless I …Or Kei says otherwise. Don't shoot your gun unless you have to. Uhm-"

"Don't run off or get lost," Kei supplied helpfully.

"Yeah that. And listen to whatever we tell you to do… And do it," Sho amended, realizing he'd left a loophole.

"Use your brain David. We could make a whole list of rules with all loopholes covered and set down in handbook. So don't be a smart-ass and we won't have to waste our time doing it." Kei said, basically covering everything. He'd seen David roll his eyes a couple times in his side-view mirror.

"'Kay," David sighed, slouching more comfortably in the backseat. He yawned after a moment. He was starting to feel the beginning of the crash after immense caffeine and sugar consumption.

_It's good,_ he thought, _that I can still function normally half asleep._

_

* * *

_

"What the fuck?" The other man exclaimed in Taiwanese,(2) holding his guns out pointed at a short blonde man and a man with braids. They were each holding a gun pointed at him to. But the barrel of a gun was poking him into the back too. And the only people he'd seen enter the room were the two in front of him.

"David," the one with braids called. "Stand by Kei."

And there was a sigh behind him and the gun stopped poking him. A pink haired _kid_ moved from behind him to stand next to the blonde, holding a gun in his hand.

Son's mouth fell open a little. They'd brought a _kid_ into a place like this? (He knew they weren't members of the gang. Figuring out if they were on the same side though was the trouble.)

And that was when, as they stepped back from each other, the actual gang members did appear. The kid, "Deividdo"(3) or whatever, moved to stand behind the blonde as if using him for a shield from any bullets. For a full fifteen seconds only the sounds of gunfire were heard as they each shot at the gang's men.

The men died.

The bullets ran out.

Son pulled out two more guns as the man in the white jacket (Braids, as Son's dubbed him in his head for now.) tossed one of his own to the short blonde, while pulling a gun for himself. The whole time the kid behind the blonde held his gun ready down in front of him, matching each step of the blonde in front of him, like a shadow.

"Who are you?" Braids asked.

"My question exactly," Son responded neutrally.

"None of your business," Braids snapped, then demanded, "What's going on?"

Son chose to ignore the question, taking in instead the number of new gang members popping up out of crevices everywhere.

"More of 'em than I thought," Son observed. He didn't miss the slight smile on the Blondie's face as he rolled his eyes in Braids' direction. So far Blondie hadn't said a word. Son didn't think he'd be much of a threat unless he hurt his partner.

"A lot more…" Braids said and his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Join forces?" Son suggested, hoping he could trust them to not kill him.

"Not much choice," Braids stated. Son took that as a truce and spun around to start firing at the gang's men, seeing the other two do the same in his peripherals. He also noticed the mop of pink hair slip into the triangle of their bodies, hovering closer to Blondie.

But then his entire focus was on the men in front of him shooting at him and the other three.

Less than five minutes later he was able to make it to the gang's main room, where he entered in the midst of gunfire. He'd seen someone duck behind a desk nearby. He didn't matter though considering he wasn't shooting at him for the time being.

* * *

**With Kei**

* * *

"Get behind a pillar," Kei ordered to his (partially-)human shadow. The teen nodded as he slipped away from Kei to do as told.

He'd barely made it behind one before there was more gunfire at Kei, and bullets imbedded themselves into the concrete David was hiding behinds. Some of them ricocheted off.

David waited and when it was silent for five seconds he peeked around the corner and saw Kei walking away at gunpoint looking bored, maybe a little bit amused. And that distraction was all that was needed for his hand to be twisted against his back, forcing him to drop the gun he was holding, as he was grabbed from behind.

For a moment he wondered why the guy hadn't just shot him and then he realized that the guy must have been unarmed. Lackey? No even they carried knives. Or maybe the guy was just too stupid to use his. Either way it'd be too easy to get out of the guy's hold.

David pressed his teeth together and stomped hard on the man's foot. He heard a sickening pop followed by some crunching. The man screamed.

Then David was shoving the elbow of his free arm back as quick as he could. It made contact with ribs, glancing off them because of the way he was being held, what with his arm twisted and squished between his back and the guy's torso with the guy's other arm around his neck in a poor attempt at a choke hold. The hit would at least hurt a helleva lot though.

The guy's hold definitely loosened under David's attack and he was able to twist away and drop down on his knees in a spin as he grabbed his fallen gun. He rounded on the guy and shot him in the shin on a split second decision. The bullet scraped through the side of the bone with a loud (to David) scraping noise and ripped apart flesh in its wake. From the way the hole was gushing blood it had gone all the way through. The man howled in pain and dropped, groping at the wound.

David's pupils went wide, his fang's dropped, he breathed in deeply through his nose, and he glanced around. Seeing no one else in the vicinity but hearing some screaming (as if far away) he launched himself forward and latched onto the hole spilling the ruby drink of the gods into his awaiting mouth. He sunk his fangs into the flesh to hold his mouth attached to the leg as the guy screamed again and tried to yank him off, pulling harshly at his hair. David's hands grabbed at his leg, one trying to hold it still while the other pressed and squeezed the back of his leg in an attempt to stem the flow of blood out the back.

He wanted it all.

But in a few minutes the bleeding of the guy's leg had slowed and David was still hungry. He whimpered, angry and pathetic sounding, and pulled away, scanning the man's body quickly.

He was still alive. Unconscious but alive! There wouldn't be much longer. David had to get more though.

Immediately he scrambled up the man's limp body and while straddling his torso yanked the man's head back by his hair, exposing his weak pulse. David dove, curled almost awkwardly as his other hand's fingernails dug into the man's shoulder.

His teeth easily popped through the skin and sank into the flesh, tapping into the carotid artery there. David sucked _hard_. Swallowed in large gulps. Wanting to get as much as he could. He'd milk the body of every drop of blood if he could.

Soon though, the man's heart couldn't even be considered beating. He was as good as dead, drained almost dry of his life source.

David pulled away, sucking his lips and stretching his tongue over his chin to lick up the blood stuck there. He looked down at his clothing and saw large glistening spots of blood on the knees of his black jeans. His shirt was a darker red in splatters and smears from the substance. One of his hands was also complete red up to the wrist.

A sudden noise nearby had him scrambling away from the body, putting it between him and the noise.

"David," Kei called again and he realized it was his name echoing in the room that had startled him.

He looked up at the older vampire sheepishly. He'd made-

"Quite the mess you've got here. You're covered in blood."

David shrugged.

"I was hungry…"

"It looks like you have more blood on you than in you."

"Naw I just spread a small amount all over the place."

"Are you still hungry?"

David top jaw ached and his insides still felt like they were squeezed a little too tight into themselves but he'd live.

"Yeah."

"Hurry up then. I'm going to find Sho and Toshi. Be outside in the car in twenty minutes."

David stood up and Kei strolled by him with a half smile, ruffling the teens pink hair before walking off. Ten seconds later David heard a metal door swing open and then shut. Kei had fed too. He could smell it. But he knew it hadn't been even remotely enough. The blonde vampire had drunk less than David and he was …a lot older than him.

Oh well. He couldn't force Kei to feed. If Sho couldn't, he had no chance.

David shrugged to himself, stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets, and moseyed off to find the next course of his meal. He'd find some drugged guy who'd eaten Toshi's pizza. The blood would taste worse than normal due to the drugs but hey, David didn't complain.

* * *

"How again, did you get covered in blood?" Toshi asked for the millionth time. Son had gotten over it ten miles ago.

David groaned and dropped his head onto the back of Sho's seat in front of him.

"FOR THE LAST TIME! I SLIPPED IN IT AND FELL!"

"But-"

"I LANDED ON MY KNEES AND MY HAND SLID THROUGH THE PUDDLE OF IT! AS FOR MY SHIRT… WELL YOU TRY FALLING IN BLOOD AND NOT GETTING IT SMEARED ON YOUR SHIRT TOO! ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE NEAR A DEAD BODY AND YOU LAND ON IT!" David yelled, ready to punch the pizza man.

Toshi opened his mouth and, seeing it, David growled.

"And why were you there in the first place?"

David made a growling screech of frustration and punched the seat. The guy was incessant!!

"Because we didn't want him sneaking after us again. Stop asking questions we've already answered Toshi or I will personally shoot you," Kei replied calmly, giving David a break.

Son sighed on the other side of Toshi.

And it was silent.

...

For about five minutes.

David mimed shooting himself in the head with his thumb and forefinger. (The gun he'd been carrying had been taken from him when he'd shot at Toshi – who had been being annoying again - before they'd gotten in the car.)

After another agonizing fifteen minutes the car stopped as Sho pulled up (…surprisingly normally) in front of a small flat in the Taiwanese sector of Mallepa.

One by one they all got out of the car, Toshi and Sho helping Son, and started moving toward the small flat.

"So this is where you live?" Sho asked conversationally, with a grunt as he practically pulled Son up a small set of stairs with Toshi's stumbling help.

"Yeah," Son breathed, lightly out of breath from their struggle. David and Kei were trailing behind them. David glanced at Kei discreetly as Son continued talking.

"Just me and my sister here. And one other recently. Yi-Che found this girl in the park nearby and brought her home for lunch and she's stayed with us since."

David was only half paying attention to the conversation, opting instead to try and figure out where exactly Kei was staring. Was it Sho's head? His back? His butt? …Wait! Kei was staring at Sho's butt!

David inspected the oblivious vampire closer and almost laughed. Kei didn't even know he was staring at Sho's ass from the out-of-it expression on his face.

They reached the top stairs without much incident and entered the flat, Son calling out Yi-Che's name.

A young woman wearing a pale-pink shirt and khaki capris came out of a room on the opposite side of the kitchen. Kei recognized her as the girl who he'd seen painting in the park not too long ago. She was smiling at her brother. It soon dropped to a look of curious confusion as she saw the extra people with him, her gaze hovering on Kei for a fraction longer than the others. Then the look dropped entirely to one of worry when she saw how Son was being half carried.

Son noticed.

"Don't worry Yi-Che. It's just a scratch. Can you clean it up for me?" He asked, sounding a bit hopeful and a bit demanding. Yi-Che smiled and disappeared through another door several steps away in a tiny hall. There was the rustling of clothes as Sho and Toshi moved to sit Son down at the kitchen table.

Several seconds later Yi-Che reemerged from what seemed to be the bathroom, holding a medium sized First Aid box. She set it on the table silently and pulled up a chair next to her brother. On another chair she motioned for him to put his leg and she rolled up his pant's leg before setting to work.

"You guys can sit and make yourselves comfortable," Son said and motioned toward the living room area.

Kei and Sho shuffled toward the mini-sofa and chair next to each other. Kei sat on the sofa and Sho in the chair. Their coats were nearby and Toshi sat in another chair close enough to watch Son being tortured. He was drinking something in a cup and nobody had realized he'd had it until that moment.

"Where'd you get that?" Son questioned with a glare.

"I found it," Toshi said with a smirk, putting emphasis on _found_. Son glared harder.

"You asshole! That's the only alcohol here!!"

Toshi just pursed his lips smugly, taking a drink. Son jerked towards him as if he were going to attack the pizza deliveryman. He jolted his leg and hissed through his teeth at the pain it caused.

Yi-Che lightly smacked the top of his foot with a reprimanding eye narrowing. Son looked sheepish and muttered a sincere "sorry". David chuckled and moved to sit next to Kei, between the vampire and Sho. He tossed his coat over the back of the couch, being careful not to get any of the still damp blood on his body anywhere.

"That looks painful-" Toshi was saying before he was rudely interrupted by a girl flying in the sliding doors from outside.

She was at least five feet four inches tall, she had light brown hair cut to her chin around her face and shorter in layers as it moved to the back of her head. She was barefoot, wearing jean shorts and a dark blue halter-top over her busty chest. She only looked to be fourteen-years-old.

She was staring intensely at David with dark brown eyes that would have amazingly gorgeous if they hadn't been set on murder. David was staring fearfully back. Seriously, the pink haired boy looked absolutely terrified! Like death furiously warmed over had just walked in the door and called his name off the list.

Suddenly he screamed and made to jump and run away as fast as he could. But was promptly tackled back onto the couch by the girl. Kei blinked in surprised at the mess of flailing limbs next to him. And to get away from them he flinched sideways… Right into Sho's lap. Who jumped up in shock and Kei's body promptly found the floor in the same moment Toshi did, laughing his ass off.

Yi-Che was on her feet looking furious as the two teens wrestled around, the girl trying to pin down and restrain David while he attempted to escape her clutches. She was growling, animalistic and angry, like a lioness while he squealed and pleaded.

Finally the girl got the upper hand in two seconds flat, pressing her leg sideways over David's hips while using one hand to pin his arms down by the wrists.

Everyone's bottom jaws were on the floor. Toshi's had the least amount of space to fall considering he was propped on his elbows still on the floor. Sho's fell the farthest, him being the tallest and the only other person standing.

Then the girl went in for the kill, swooping down and… FURIOUSLY TICKLING DAVID'S STOMACH WITH HER FREE HAND!!

He yelped loudly, a horrified look of mirth crossing his face before he jerked violently upward and to the side. He successfully threw the girl from his body and promptly rolled onto his side into the couch, his back facing the room as he curled into a ball. Soft mutters of "I'm gong to die" were heard as he said them like a mantra.

The girl on the other hand had landed flat on her butt next to the rounded coffee table, legs in front of her and hands behind her, propping her body up. She pouted furiously before scrambling up and running out the front door… Still barefoot.

"Geibu!" Son yelled angrily after her but the door had slammed shut two seconds before and not much later she was farther than gone.

"W-what the hell was that??" Toshi stuttered from the ground, staring at the front door.

"I think that would be what we call a 'young woman' or 'girl'," Kei stated mockingly.

Toshi glared.

"Oh shut up Kei. But seriously what just happened?"

Son sighed before hissing as Yi-Che furiously went back to work on cleaning his leg.

"That's Geibu. She's been living with us for a week and a half," he explained as his leg twitched in pain. Toshi nodded as he slid back up into his chair and Kei stood up, brushed himself off, and sat down next to David who was finally uncurled and lounging again, as if nothing had happened.

"We think she's bi-polar or something because she has violent mood swings," Son continued and looked from his sister's work to Sho, who was still standing. "What are you doing?"

"Huh?" Sho intelligently replied.

"Why are you still standing?" Son elaborated on his question before.

"I think he's waiting from something to explode… or for him to get sucked into another world through a vortex splitting the space/time continuum in front of him," David supplied helpfully, making the tall man twitch in fear and look around frantically as if space or time, or both, would suddenly rip in front of him and whisk him away. After a moment he sat back down, pressing back into the chair behind him.

"What was that ab-" Toshi started as Son and Yi-Che just looked at him in confusion.

"Don't ask," Kei interrupted as David snickered behind his hand.

"Okaaayy…" Son said before turning back to Yi-Che's work. His leg convulsed again. Toshi noticed and grinned like the devil.

"The slow ones get hit," he commented. Son scoffed.

"He's right," Sho said helpfully and reached for his cigarettes off the coffee table. He placed one between his lips and breathed in the nicotine-laced smoke as he lit it. Instantly he started to calm again, a plume of smoke blown from his mouth.

He heard David snicker again and glared over at him. The teen laughed out loud and reached forward, curling his fingers to look like claws with a mad (as in insane) expression on his face. Sho flinched and scowled.

Toshi could be heard annoying Son in the background of their little exchange.

"I'm going to pummel you," Sho mouthed at David and the teen put a hand over his heart and pretended to faint with fright, the back of his other hand touching his forehead. Kei smacked his leg, with a glare telling him to shut up.

"Hey, she'll look at you now," Son said, pulling Sho from his three-way glaring contest. (He was glaring at David who was glaring at Kei who was glaring at the both of them in exasperation.)

Sho looked at him, turning because of the way Son had to stand, using the top of the doorframe as support.

"Me? I'm fine," he said casually.

Kei and David exchanged glances and looked at the bullet scrape on Sho's arm.

"Come on, I can smell the blood from here," Son insisted.

Kei leaned forward as David leaned back to watch, and the blonde backhanded Sho's arm, just above the laceration. Sho recoiled immediately with a jump and a yelp. Everyone laughed at him and Yi-Che smiled at the action.

"Have her take a look," Kei said with amusement lacing his voice.

Kei looked at Yi-Che and she caught his gaze. They held it before Yi-Che's smile twitched a fraction bigger and she turned back to her work as her brother hauled Sho out of his chair.

"I can still walk!" He exclaimed and teasingly reached for Toshi's balls in a threatening manner when the pizza man commented on Son saying something about infection.

Yi-Che picked up a cotton ball as Sho pulled the short sleeve of his black shirt up to reveal the scooped out flesh wound from a bullet. David noticed Kei had frozen as Yi-Che started to clean up the half dried blood.

Son could smell it from three feet. David could smell it from across the room. How much did Kei smell of it? David could smell attraction from the other man he was currently living with. What could Kei smell?

The blonde vampire's mouth was open, lips parted as he breathed slowly in and out through both his nose and mouth. His pale green eyes darkened as he stared at Sho's arm, eyes flickering to his neck.

Then Kei was moving, rolling his head and turning away from the scene. He grabbed his jacket, leaning partway over David to get it, and David could smell it. The crave, the pheromones he emitted used to subdue prey. …His friends (except one) thought he was crazy when he told them he could smell pheromones. To an extent they could too but never like David, who could sometimes pick out the different types of them.

And while he was pondering on this Kei had left and Sho was telling Yi-Che to be careful as she cleaned him up. David jumped up. Sho looked over his shoulder questioningly at him.

"Uh… I –uh- feel hyper. Gotta run!" He said jumping up and down, concentrating intently on Sho's face to make his pupils grow. Then he ran out the large doorframe after the blonde.

"What's with him?" Son asked.

"He… ate a lot of sugar before the heist." Sho absently scratched the side of his neck while staring after David in confusion.

"Kei!" David called, jogging to stand next to the vampire who was sitting on the roof's raised edge.

Kei looked at him before turning back to the moon. It was fine if the kid had followed him but he had preferred to be alone just then.

"I saw that," David stated softly, knowingly, as he leaned on his arms on the ledge next to Kei.

"What do you think you saw, David?" Kei asked quietly. His voice was so unassuming that it immediately led David to believe he was right. (And he was, neither of them truly knew that though.)

"Forbidden fruit right?" David questioned and hopped up on the ledge in front of Kei.

"I bet it would taste delicious. I saw that look."

David paused as Kei looked away from the too-large moon in the distance and right at him. David was watching him. Foresty eyes gazed at him with intensity, putting off the same deterring qualities as cold, locked like underground, reinforced 'creep' steel doors.

He knew he wouldn't get anything verbally out of the other vampire, but Kei spoke with his body as well. All the time; not knowing how closed off he looked only on the surface. And David picked up on those things too easily in people. All too easily.

"Have you ever tasted it?"

Kei's face remained unchanged, like those doors. But unlike those doors in that solid frame, a building can shake and tremble and sway violently. Kei's body was tensed, suddenly everything looked rigid and even though the blonde hadn't moved anything but muscle.

Obviously _that_ would be a 'no', something repulsive to Kei's mind.

"You want to."

David wasn't even looking at Kei; he could just feel it all. _Repulsive to the mind, not the body._ He knew what's Kei's body craved. Knew the ache in his canines and the roof of his mouth.

David was turned now. Back to Kei, he watched the large moon. He closed his eyes for a moment and could almost feel the caress of her beams brushing across his cheekbones, tracing his lips and delivering a soft kiss. A breeze picked up, and like fingers it combed gently though his hair. The soft scent of fresh water, dewdrops, wild mountain roses, and fresh raspberries teased the skin under his nose.

His eye's flickered open when he felt a hand on his chest, pressing into his body right over his heart.

No one. He breathed out.

"She's happy tonight." And David would bleed for her if she ever asked.

Kei blinked, startled out of his daze. What was David talking about?

He noticed the way the boy was staring reverently at the moon.

"She may not have given birth to any of us, Kei. But she loves us. Loves us so much. Her love could never even compare with a mother's. And tonight she is happy. She knows what's brewing under her kind gaze. And she's twinkling in merriment at the thought."

Kei frowned. He'd always felt comfort in the moon before but this was taking it too far. David wasn't even full vampire. He should be out in the sun during the day (like Sho) enjoying his freedom.

But even as he stared at the moon with a confused scowl, he was noticing it. The moon wasn't just bigger than life tonight. It _truly was _shimmering, absorbing and reflecting the light from the sun on the opposite side of the earth. She'd taken that harsh blinding blistering light so dangerous to Kei's body and turned it into a silvery, milky, cool touch.

Wait… She? Kei had just called the moon _she_. David's madness was rubbing on him.

At that moment though their reverent silence was broken by Sho calling and the other's joining them.

* * *

Sho grimaced in disgust when the three reentered their flat. It repulsively smelled of burning marijuana and incense. Kei looked at him curiously, noticing the change in David and Sho's happy teasing mood. David eyes were wide in wonderment and he breathed in sharply.

Just then the girl who had attacked David before at Son's flat walked out from the pink-haired teen's room. On her back was a teddy-bear backpack, the black straps wrapped around her shoulders and the bear bounced against her middle back as she walked.

In one hand was a silver Zippo lighter and in the other a pipe. She stared calculatingly at David, lips in a half pout. They pursed and a minute later David jumped back, a look of terror on his face.

Kei's eyes widened as David's hair began to change colors. Sho turned to look and his bottom jaw fell.

Less than ten seconds later half of David's hair was pink, a fourth of it pure white in the back, and the rest near his face was purple and blue. The random chunks of black were still present.

Immediately the teen reached up and started pulling his hair forward into his face for fearful inspection of each lock. After several frantic moments of this he sighed in relief and looked at the girl in question.

She shrugged her shoulders.

"You took good care of it. So while I'm still furious I didn't have it for almost two weeks I'm okay with it. Don't accept my mercy lightly though. You _know_ what I can do to you David." She said with threat.

David nodded hurriedly, definitely not taking advantage of her merciful ways.

She seemed satisfied and walked over and hugged him tightly.

"Gods am I glad to see you. Ever since we've been on the streets you've found some form of trouble." Geibu said into his newly purple and blue hair.

She pressed her cheek into the silken strands as David hugged her back, wishing her hair was as soft as his was. Hers always got oily too fast and there was way too much of it. That's why she kept it short. Or her neck would start hurting from the extra weight.

"I missed you," David whispered into her neck. He didn't want to ever lose his best friend again.

"Me too," She whispered back before pulling away and looking him in the face. "Now I think it's time I head back though. Ti-Chen and Yi-Che will be worried. And I will need to explain myself and thank them for putting up with my bi-polar-ness while I wasn't medicated."

She turned warm, brown eyes on Sho and Kei.

"Nice to meet you –Sho, Kei. Thank you for keeping him out of trouble."

Then she turned and held out a fist, thumb wrapped around fingers and knuckle up. David smiled and placed his fist under hers. As one David tapped the top of her fist while she tapped the bottom of his before they both tapped the fingers of other's stacked fist. A quick embrace and she was at the opened door.

"I'll be seeing three later," she said in such a way all three males shivered unconsciously in dread.

Then she was gone.

"Who exactly was that now?" Sho asked, knowing that Kei wouldn't.

"Gabe. Or well, Gaberiella. That's her …full name? We just call her Gabe for short because… we do. Anyway, she's a year and half(?) older than me. We've been friends since…"

David stopped short, trailing off and shying away from something.

"Well a long time."

Kei frowned. Sho opened his mouth and almost asked "Since _what?_" always so insatiable when it came to knowing things. But instead he said,

"Why don't you go shower. You're a mess."

Kei smiled secretly to himself at Sho's parent-like behavior. It was odd and almost cute.

David nodded, giving the taller man a thankful look, and turned toward the hallway and bathroom. And once he was done in there, his room too.

Tonight had been very eventful. They all needed a rest.

* * *

(1) I really wanted to eat all that as I wrote it all down. It sounded so good. …Still does. I WANNA EAT JUNK FOOD!!

(2) I don't actually know if he actually says it Taiwanese or Chinese… Or hey even Japanese (even though it didn't sound that way to me.) *shrug*

(3) David's name when pronounced in Japanese. I spelled it like that then went on the Internet to find out and I was correct. I danced a little dance when I saw. XD

**Jaded's after words:** *gumble* my tummy's hungry, *hic* and I have the hiccups now. *hic* My family's hungry too so *hic* I think I'll go make dinner. *hic* I hoped you liked this chapter (confirm it for me or disagree plz *points to button underneath*). And look! A new character!


	7. Getting to Know A lil Bit Better

**Title:** (title goes here) (still looking for a good one... any help is appreciated)

**Author:** Jaded

**Chapter: **7/?**  
**

**Pairing:** Sho/Kei

**Rating:** PG-15

**Warnings:** Marijuana, naughty words, David rambling... oh and unedited

**Disclaimer:** Gackt owns Moon Child right? (I guess that means he own Kei too huh? *wiggles eyebrows*)

**Jaded's fore-words: **My brain hurts... I finished this a couple days ago... Nothing too interesting I guess... I need some ideas... le sigh... uhm wow I'm using a lot of dots. I'm going to quit now. So uhhhh this is dedicate to everyone who has stuck with this through... uh my laziness. ***coughSATCHIcoughSOUBIcough*** :) ...enjoy**?  
**

* * *

Soft flute-like music traveled down the hallway and into Sho's room through the cracked door. It was gentle and lullaby-like and easily brought Sho from his slumber.

He rubbed his eyes and sat up reaching for a pair of cotton pants and standing up. He pulled them on and walked to his door and down the hallway.

In the living room David was laying on the floor across from the couch, legs up against the wall as if he were sitting not the wall and leaning against the floor. His pink and blue and purple and white and black hair was flopped and sticking up in all directions and a oval-shaped, hollow instrument was held to his lips, the soft notes Sho had woken up to flowing from it as David lazily moved his fingers over the holes in the top of the instrument. His eyes were closed in relaxation as he played.

Nearby, laying on her back as if she'd just flopped backward off the couch while her legs stayed on the furniture, was the girl from the night before. Gabe.

"What's that smell?" Sho asked groggily, rubbing his forehead with his palm as if it would help his brain remember why the scent was so familiar.

David opened his eyes with a flutter, revealing murky, hazel-green. He removed the mouth piece of his instrument from his lips and looked at Sho as if he just realized he was there. Gabe put the end of a joint between her lips and inhaled the smoke.

Then she reached across the floor over her head and handed it to David, who copied her - even handing the joint back - before breathing out.

Sho scowled angrily. He was reminded of his brother who was always high off his ass.

"What the fuck is this?" He asked instead.

"Marijuana," David responded. He pointed with a jerk of his thumb in Gabe's direction. "It keeps her chill. She grows it in her Urn. _You_ never saw it because the Butter-fly captured you and then… And then something happened to you that I don't know of… What did happen anyways?."

"Keeps her chill?" Sho questioned, ignoring David's rambling and still feeling pissed.

"Yeah. Didn't you notice how last night she was all" - David did a goofy hand motion around his head - "psycho and then she was all calm and shit. It was because she got her Urn back and with it her pot. We think she's what you call bi-polar."

Sho sighed, closing his eyes and angrily rubbing his temple with the thumb of one of his hands.

"That doesn't explain why you're smoking it too, David."

David shrugged with a dopey kind of smile.

"I do it every now and then with her. Ya know, to keep her company."

Sho shook his head feeling pissed but not wanting to deal with something like that so early after he woke up. If it were up to him, he'd make them get rid of the pot and never let David anywhere near that shit again. (And that thought frightened him just a little.) So instead he went into the kitchen for coffee before coming back and sitting on the couch.

David had his head tilted back to see the room - upside-down - and laughed stupidly.

"Play another song, bunches-o-honey," Gabe requested and David giggled before bringing the instrument to his lips. He played a considerably shorter, more upbeat one than before.

"What is that?" Sho asked when he was done, deciding to ignore the still smoking girl on the floor nearby.

"What?"

"The instrument, what is it?"

"Oh," David said and looked at it as if he forgot he was holding it. "An ocarina."

"A what?"

"Here," David groaned, rolling feet over head into a kneeling position. "I'll show you."

And he shuffled somewhat awkwardly on his knees, barley going anywhere, over to the tv. There was a game system of some sort hooked up to the tv that hadn't been there before. Sho thought it better not to ask, sighing into his coffee.

David placed a plastic game cartridge into a slot in the top. Then he turned on the game and held the sideways-E-looking control in his hand with his left thumb over the joystick in the middle.

After a minute the starting sequence to the game played. David hit start and chose his game from a menu. (His name was Jorge. Sho had no idea why.) The game opened up and a blonde guy wearing all green was standing in the middle of a field.

David pressed a button and it showed the front of the guy and he was holding the same instrument that David had. David pressed a set of yellow buttons as displayed on the screen and a song played.

"See? Instrument. Here in the game it's _magical_. THE _Ocarina of Time_. I love this game."

Just then a horse rode up to the blonde in the game.

"EPONA! YEY!" David exclaimed throwing his arms up in the air before he jumped on the horse in the game.

Sho realized David was completely lost to the game and decided to lay down on the couch. He glanced out the window and noticed the light rain. It was then he remembered.

He looked at Kei's bed and found it empty.

He sighed and closed his eyes, ready to wait for the blonde vampire to return.

* * *

It was late in the evening when Kei returned from wherever he'd been. He was soaking wet and dripping water onto the floor. As he took off his jacket he sniffed the air a little and frowned.

"Was Shinji here?" He questioned, hanging up his trademark red coat to dry.

"No," Sho said with a slight glare at David and Gabe, who were sitting in from of the tv playing a racing game against each other. Gabe was some sort of dinosaur and David was a princess and they drove what looked like go-carts.

"Then why does it smell like marijuana... and peaches?" Kei asked moving to sit on the couch next to Sho.

"Them," Sho said shortly, nodding in the direction of the two zoned teens.

"Gabe's bi-polar-maybe and she needed a smoking buddy," David said tonelessly as he shot something at Gabe's racer, knocking her off the track. "And I'd never had peach before."

"..." Kei said and turned conversation away from the odd subject. "Well… I saw something strange walking home."

"We live in Mallepa. Be specific," Sho said with a short laugh.

"I saw a tall, blonde guy dressed as a pirate and a tall blonde girl dressed as a clown holding a mideival sword and both of them were running from what looked to be a very large group of angry gypsies who were all carrying giant, inflatable weapons."

"...Does that not sound like our blonde friends?" David questioned, glancing at Gabe wearing a frown of confusion.

"They were our blonde friends," Gabe deadpanned, taking advantage of David's distraction to blow up his racer. "I win."

"Fuck you."

Sho opened his mouth to say something mature but-

"Aww, fuck you too, babe." Gabe practically crooned back affectionately.

"Whore."

"Slut."

"Skank."

"Douche."

"Cum-guzzling dumpster whore."

Sho's jaw hit the floor and Kei looked a mixture of shocked and repulsed.

"Only for you, babe."

"...I just lost." David said flatly with a pout.

Gabe smirked.

"So why aren't we out looking for our friends again?" David asked restarting the game. Gabe shrugged.

"Don't know. Don't care," she said plainly and revved her racer's go-cart engine as the countdown started.

"You know all."

"True," Gabe said and smiled smugly. "They'll find us one way or another. Don't worry-"

"I wasn't."

"And besides, they sound fine."

"…Riiiight~." There was a pause. "I'm done. I quit. I'm bored," David suddenly announced and threw down his controller.

"You're just pissed because I win every time," Gabe said and crossed the finish line for the last time.

"There's a reason I don't play poker with you," David grumbled and crossed his arms sulkily over his chest like a two-year-old.

"We're not playing poker," Gabe stated the obvious.

"ShutTheFuckUp."

"Pantelónes."

"...I'm not even going to comment, banana."

Kei and Sho looked to one another for answers but neither seemed to know even the slightest about what the fuck was going on.

* * *

Later that night, after Gabe had left and Sho had gone out for a couple of drinks with Toshi and Son, David and Kei were the only two left in the apartment, confined to watching a mindless movie together. Kei chose to stay behind and David had to because there was no way in hell Sho was going to let him tag along and there was no way in the universe that Kei was going to let the sneaky little color bomb get away with running around Mallepa at night without supervision. (Gabe didn't count to either of them.)

_The Labyrinth _was playing on the tv as the two sat on the couch, idly talking about whatever, David occasionally throwing food up into the air to catch in his mouth.

"Sho really doesn't approve of drugs, does he?" David said quietly out of the blue, staring into the bowl of popcorn in his lap. Kei turned his head to look at David, wondering why he'd brought this up. "Well- That didn't really sound right. I don't approve of drugs. Marijuana's different. It's natural. Not synthetic. And in moderation the effects aren't horrible. I guess what I'm trying to say is, why? Why did he-"

"It's because of his brother, Shinji. He does pot all the time. There's almost never a moment when he isn't high," Kei said flatly.

"It bothers you," David said lifting his head to stare softly at Kei. His hazel-green eyes were dark and comforting, knowing. Kei met his gaze full on, his brown eyes just as dark as David's, but shining with annoyance.

"It's because Shinji's hurting Sho isn't it. By doing drugs and getting into trouble because of it… Sho's seen the problems involving drugs and that's why he got angry earlier…" David continued, his voice soft as if he were rambling out his thoughts after the first sentence. Then his eyes widened and shimmered as he came to a conclusion. "You love Sho don't you."

Kei looked at him impassively, gaze locked into the short teen's. Meeting someone's gaze implied honesty, sincerity, and trustworthiness. It's why people who lie efficiently make earnest eye contact. It's why, to really tell when a person isn't lying to you, you need to pay more attention to a person's body than to their eyes.

It's something David has a natural talent for. It's why he loves sarcasm so much. It's why he's a self-proclaimed bullshit detector. It's something he's tried to pay acute attention to.

It's why he noticed the way the air seemed to suddenly get very uneasy and Kei tensed subtly. The lines of his face seemed to be a lot more sharp then before, standing out better.

And so David carelessly discarded the bowl of popcorn and scooted closer to Kei, keeping his eye contact as he moved closer. Hazel-green and deep chocolate with striated dark emerald greens held together like clear packaging goo holds a product impossibly stuck to it's packaging.

"It's okay," David said, placing his hand on Kei's leg with his whole body facing the blonde.

"What are you trying to reassure me about?" Kei questioned cynically, his voice quiet and almost demure.

David pushed himself closer, reaching out and pressing his body up against Kei's. One of his arms moved across Kei's chest and his hand fisted the fabric of the vampire's shirt as David gave him a one-armed hug, laying his head on Kei's shoulder.

"It's okay that I know. I won't ever use it to hurt you intentionally," David said gently, hoping the warmth he was trying to convey through his words and with his presence would reach Kei.

An arm moved to wrap around his shoulders.

David continued after there was no other response from Kei.

"It's okay that you love him. It's not weird because you raised him. It's not weird because you've been alive longer than he has. It's not weird that you're both men. I don't know if you've noticed, I don't remember if I've told you already, but I'm gay, Kei. I'm open-minded and gay. In fact, you being this close to Sho comes as no surprise to me."

David felt some tension seep out of Kei at his own admission and felt a small surge of positive flare in his chest. It was working. He realized by revealing something about himself and honestly, sharing his true thoughts about it all, he was making Kei feel less vulnerable and subconsciously easing whatever doubts or fears might have been swirling around in his head.

So he continued.

"It's okay because you're not the monster you think you are," he whispered and waited for Kei's reaction. He knew he'd stepped on thin ice with this one and was wondering if it would hold weight or crack and crash through.

Kei's whole body practically tensed and he paused in his even breathing pattern for a moment. The air was very heavy and the once comfortable contact between them felt very forced.

_'How do I fix this?'_ The thought immediately flew through David's head and the almost immediate answer was _'push it.'_ And David believed, what the hell? There were two ways this could happen, Kei could get angry and shut down, ignoring the weight that was David's words or he could accept them and crack.

"I mean it, Kei."

"How can you say that?" Kei spoke, only the second time since David discovered his secret.

"Because that's who I am," David said near a whisper but not quite.

"You're a monster?" Kei inquired skeptically, sounding confused.

"No. Not what I meant," David said truthfully, gently urging placidity. He didn't want to talk down to Kei. "I meant that I can say that because of who I am. You forget that I'm half vampire, Kei."

And Kei _had _forgotten. Which made him remember that David was eating.

"Won't you need to go feeding soon? You've been eating quite a bit lately," Kei said out of the blue, speaking in accordance to his thoughts.

"No. But I'll know when my mouth or stomach start to ache. But even then, that's pushing it. I won't have to worry until I start getting sharp pain or cramps though. But don't change the subject on me or I'll get seven different kinds of lost," David said and admonishingly pinched the skin covering Kei's ribs in the sensitive area under his arm. He received no reaction, but then again he wasn't expecting one since they both knew what it was to mean.

He sighed softly.

"You're not a monster," David said, repeating the root-reason of their tentative conversation. "Not by my definition anyway. By society's definition you are. You need to stop thinking like society and start thinking like Kei."

"What do you define a monster as?" Kei asked, relaxing into the couch with David against him, resigning himself to the overworked conversation topic. Sho had tried and failed to convince him of the same thing David was trying to do.

"Society defines a monster as something ugly and terrifying and unusually large. A monster is something to be horribly afraid of, and I agree. But you are none of these things. Because I define a monster as something that is cruel and malicious and wrongfully sadistic. A monster is inside."

"Then by all accounts I should be classified as a monster."

"Because you kill? Because you drink blood? Because you kill _human beings_? Look at me! Am I a monster then because I do the exact same things? No. You don't see me as a monster. Sho doesn't see me as a monster. …And he most definitely doesn't see you as a monster."

David shifted, sitting up and looking Kei straight in the eyes again. His gaze held nothing but honesty and Kei could tell this was what David actually believed. He wasn't just trying to sweet talk Kei.

"You don't enjoy killing, Kei, if that's what makes you loathe yourself so much. …You have a conscience. You care. You are nothing but kind except when it's unneeded. What it is you enjoy is feeding yourself. How is it wrong to enjoy what you eat?"

Kei was quiet and after a delayed moment where neither did anything but stare at the other David spoke again.

"Killing and death are just as important as life. Without them we, or humans I should say… but then again I should group all carnivores and omnivores into one for this conversation being completely logical… So without killing, more than a billion animals on this planet wouldn't eat. Without death, we wouldn't appreciate life. I consider us just another part of nature. …We are the predators that humans thought they didn't have."

David blinked and laid his head back down on Kei's shoulder.

"We are just humans and then some, Kei. We're just like every other predator out there, except we think like humans. We are just as vital to this world as a wolf or a lion is."

"Is that how you deal with killing people?" Kei questioned, not trying to be harsh like his words implied. David stiffened and for a minute Kei thought he'd hit a nerve but then David relaxed again and sighed.

"We kill people, yes. Individuals, Kei. And I'm all about individuality and variety. But the thing is… These people are just like the cattle humans kill for their burgers; Minding their own business and then suddenly someone is attacking them and they're bleeding everywhere. Yet people don't kill their dogs or cats or parrots. Just like we don't kill our friends. We are all life. We are all food for something else. We are all individuals any way you twirl your moral compass.

"How is killing a human you don't have any emotional attachment to any different to killing cattle instead of a pet?"

David fell silent after that. It was the bombshell he'd decided to drop as (what he predicted to be) the end of the conversation. And he sat patiently cuddled up against Kei, waiting for a reaction.

Kei saw the logic and reasoning and truth as David saw it in the teen's words. He couldn't believe it though. For David it was how things were. For Kei it was just another person trying to force him into being okay. He didn't like hurting the people he cared for, but that didn't mean he'd change just because a teenager with too much knowledge could speak about horribly realistic but still too naive ideas.

There was truth in David's words. And Kei could feel them sticking in his head. He hated that someone as naive, as innocent, as David could speak so eloquently about something so disgusting.

These things most, annoyed Kei.

And he found himself gently pushing David away before standing up swiftly and rushing out the door, his red coat forgotten.

David watched him go. In his head he was second-guessing and doubting what he did, hoping that he didn't do anything too horrible to Kei, pushing like he did. A small tendril of self-loathing guilt tried to slither around him and drag him down but his self-love slapped it away and it slunk back into the dark recesses of David's mind.

He suddenly felt completely drained and retreated to his room, forgoing cleaning up and only turning off the tv on his way. He stripped down to his underwear and turned on music before curling up with Bob in his bed, a nest of pillows and blankets. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep with Bob realizing his master was distressed and cooing and purring reassuringly, helping David along to dreamland with his fluff.

* * *

**Jaded's after-words:** Reminding you to review or drop a comment or answer this question. - How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could smoke crack?

thanks for reading. :)


	8. Strange Ways of The Mind

**Story Title:** Lost Time (What do you think of the new title?)

**Chapter Title: **Strange Ways of The Mind

**Rating:** (_R-M_/R-M)

**Chapter:** 8/?**  
**

**Warnings: **lots of thinking, strange dreams, mature content, homosexual relations, brief threesome, language, un-edited...**  
**

**Disclaimer: **Gackt owns Moon Child right? (I guess that means he owns Kei too huh? *wiggles eyebrows*)

**Pairings: **Kei/Sho, Luka/Sho, Kei/Luka/Sho

**Jaded's fore-words:** Uhmmmmm yeah so I wrote this in like two days so enjoy my hard work! NNNNJOYYYYY~! And be warrrrnnnned! *cough* And thanks to-

* * *

In the early hours of the morning, when Mallepa was transitioning from the questionable, hush-hush activities of the night to the much more harmless appearing hustle and bustle of the day, Kei returned home in the hour of quiet before the sun rises.

As he silently unlocked the front door and pushed it open, stealthily slipping into the flat, he wondered if Sho would be angry at him for leaving David alone in the apartment at night. He wondered about when Sho got home and if he talked to David before he went to bed (if he even went to bed after talking to David). Did David say anything to him about Kei? Did David even stick around the apartment? How long did he stay up to talk to Sho, if he did stay up at all? Or did he go to bed? Did he sneak out instead?

Kei had thought about these questions briefly before, as he wandered around in the dark that night.

He closed the door just as silently as he had opened it and quietly walked through the living room area to his daybed, glancing down the hallway and noticing the soft blue light seeping from under David's door. He also noticed the bowl of popcorn from before sitting on the table next to the couch.

Kei frowned as he leaned down and unlaced his boots before sitting down on his bed to kick them off. Then he yanked his socks off, his mind surprisingly blank as he went through the familiar motions. He tossed the socks casually onto the floor next to his bed and left his boots unlaced in the heap he'd kicked them into. His too-warm skin felt wonderful touching the cold wood floors of the flat, now that the material separating the two was removed. He groaned quietly at the cool seeping into his muscles and soothing his achy feet.

He hadn't stopped walking since he left the apartment, going through the nearby park where he'd seen Yi-Che working on her mural at night (she hadn't been there that night), and wandering through almost every type of neighborhood in Mallepa. He'd even gone all the way to the beach and just walked along the shore in the moonlight before turning and heading back in the general direction of _home_. And he'd walked because if he stopped the numbness left and he felt too much for his brain to handle.

So he walked and he thought, mostly in a kind of daze. When he tried to remember his walk he saw in his head quick flashes of small details he hadn't known he'd noticed until then. His numb daze was also the reason he felt full for the first time in what felt like forever. Too hungry and thirsty to ignore feeding any longer while trying not to think, he had attacked a homeless man and a fat bouncer from a club, both without even knowing he had until blood was sliding down his throat.

And now that Kei was sitting and staring into the darkness around him the numbness was fading and he was starting to feel that jittery anxiousness that he hadn't felt since forever and a day ago. And then the burning curiosity sidled up close next to it. They cleared the way for the parade of thoughts that had already leisurely strolled through his head once before when he was walking.

He needed to keep moving.

Kei jumped to his feet and walked quietly out of his sleeping area and over to the hallway. He glanced at David's door again before walking past it to Sho's door, cracked like the taller man always left it. He would just check on them, Kei decided. Just walk in for a quick peek to make sure Sho was alright before doing the same for David.

But standing outside Sho's door with his hand on the knob, Kei froze. His breathing stopped and his heart-rate skipped and began pounding loudly against his ribs and echoing in his ears. It'd been forever since he'd been in Sho's room. The last he'd stepped foot in it at all had been years and year before, when they first moved into the flat.

He took a deep breath and pushed the door open, thanking whoever was eavesdropping on his thoughts that the hinges didn't squeak.

The room was dark, barely lit up with the deep blue glow of the rising sun below the horizon. The thin curtains covering the window fluttered next to Sho's dresser in a slight breeze and across the room Sho shifted in his sleep. Kei turned and noticed Sho's bed had been moved since he'd been in here last. Before it had been in the corner of the room facing the door. Now it was centered on the right side of the room and facing the wall with the window.

Faint light from the window fell onto the small bedside table where a lamp, an ashtray, and a clock were set up neatly. Resting between the alarm clock and the ashtray was Sho's hand, thrown carelessly out and landing palm-up on the table. Kei followed the line of Sho's arm with his eyes to the man's torso mostly covered by a dark-blue comforter. He smiled when he noticed a pillow hugged to Sho's chest and partially covering his face. Wrapped around one leg was Sho's red satin sheet, tangled and twisted around so completely only a foot could be seen while his other leg was barely covered.

Kei crept over to the unconscious man and carefully pulled the comforter down to cover more of Sho's body. Then he took Sho's hand gently in his and wrapped his arm around the pillow his face was buried under. Sho mumbled something softly in his sleep and squeezed the pillow before relaxing again with a sigh.

Kei continued smiling and leaned down, brushing Sho's hair away from his temple and pressing his lips to it softly. Could it really be possible that he indeed loved Sho more than he thought he had? Was he really _in love_ with the man? And if he was, how did David know? Was Kei really so oblivious he didn't realize that he'd developed feelings for Sho?

He didn't think so, but then again, it had been too easy for Sho to steal his heart and pull him in without Kei realizing when he'd been just a kid.

Sho groaned in his sleep and shifted again, rolling onto his back and knocking Kei's hand out of his hair with a tossed arm. Kei stiffened, thinking he was about to wake up. When no further movement came from Sho, except the fluttering of his eyes, Kei relaxed and breathed a sigh. He blinked suddenly, noticing he'd been staring at Sho's lips. He had the surprising urge to lean down and kiss them, to see how they'd feel pressed against his.

Kei shook his head softly, dispelling the thought and wondered if this was the first time he'd unknowingly stared at Sho or if he did this more often than he thought, never catching himself until David pointed out his maybe-infatuation for the man.

Then Kei remembered the small teen sleeping one room away and he straightened up, removing his hand from Sho's shoulder where it had been resting lightly. He turned to the door and had his hand on the knob again when suddenly Sho spoke from behind him.

"Kei?" He mumbled sleepily, his eyes attempting stay open enough for him to see the blonde.

"Yes?" Kei inquired in a whisper so he didn't pull Sho completely from sleep.

"Where were you?" Sho asked, groggily trying to push himself up onto his elbow, staring at Kei tiredly.

"Walking, Sho. But I'm back now," Kei said gently and pulled the door close to his body. "Go back to sleep."

"Okay," Sho murmured and fell onto his side. "Came home… N David was sleepin'… But you were gone. Was jus' curious. Cuz you never… run off…"

Kei smiled again and stepped out of the room, pulling the door closed. A strange burning sensation was filling his chest and almost making him want to laugh at Sho's behavior.

He moved over to David's door and grabbed the doorknob, turning it slowly so the slider didn't make any noise as it moved. When the knob would turn no further he cautiously pushed the door open.

He stepped into the blue glow filling the room and carefully closed the door behind him. He found a lamp with blue plastic beads as the lampshade hanging from the ceiling in a corner of the room and providing the soft blue light. The window in the room was completely covered with a grass mat creating a dark glow with little slits of light peeking through from the now risen sun breaking over the horizon. David was sleeping in the bed next to the window, pressed into the pillows against the wall.

A large black and silver comforter was draped around his waist leaving his bare chest open to the cool air. He was curled up on his side with an earphone pressed into his ear from the pillow under his head. The other earphone was lost and the chord was wrapped around his neck, causing Kei to worry. Sleeping on the pillow next to David's head was Bob, the Mitzsterfiffle. His large, usually closed, eyes were open and dark, deep blue irises surrounding large circles of black were staring at Kei curiously. His wings hummed softly as they frantically fluttered for a minute and he moved, rolling so his tiny toes were visible from the side, curled contentedly. Next to David's pink and white and purple and blue and black hair it seemed as though there were two Mitzsterfiffles sleeping next to each other.

But David's face was visible so it ruined the illusion.

Kei moved over and gingerly sat on the bed next to David, studying the boy's face in case he woke up. David barely responded, his breath catching for a moment before he let it out in a sigh. Kei reached out an put his hand on Bob's side and the Mitzsterfiffle heaved a great sigh, relaxing into what looked like a deflated blob covered in fur. His rice-paper-thin wings hummed again and folded into his body like paper fans before a soft trilling filled the air in the room, sounding very much like a purring songbird. Under Kei's hand Bob's body was vibrating oddly and Kei realized the noise was coming from Bob in some weird sort of purring.

He'd thought a lot about David on his walk, previously not aware of the fact that he and Sho knew almost nothing about the boy. They didn't even know his favorite color. (Kei was going to go out on a limb and say it was blue, considering the abundance of it in his room.) And Kei discovered he did want to know David. He wanted to know everything about the teen. He thought about life without David, what he and Sho might be doing if they'd never found the boy, and Kei felt a twinge of pain in his chest. And he almost hated how attached to David he'd become in such a short time.

Kei moved his hand from Bob to David's head, gently combing his fingers through the soft, pink-colored locks on his left side. David breathed in deeply and let all the air in his lungs out in a great whoosh. Kei smiled a little.

Before David pointed out his attraction to Sho, Kei never considered the fact that his feelings for the two of them were different. But while he had been walking he'd noticed some big differences.

Like how he coddled David. He'd never coddled Sho. He helped him out and gave him a hand when the taller male needed one but Kei had never coddled him. Yet he found himself doing it when David was around.

Case in point being when Sho decided to take David on their heist. Kei had been against it. He would have rather tied the teen up in chains and thrown him in a closet than let him go with them. But Sho had convinced him with a couple carefully placed sentences.

When he and Sho first started doing heists Kei had been reluctant. He'd stalled and hesitated before finally deciding that doing them with the then-teen would actually be a good thing since it would teach Sho to fight and shoot and protect himself.

He didn't want David to have to shoot or fight or protect himself at all.

But this kind of protectiveness was different from the protectiveness he felt for Sho, who he didn't necessarily want to protect from the front. He didn't want to shield Sho like he wanted to David. He'd wanted the man to grow up and see the truth in the world; that it could be harsh and unforgiving but Kei would be there as long as Sho needed him. He wanted to hide David away, though: maybe in a cottage in the woods or a tower taller than any skyscraper in the world.

Leaning forward slightly Kei rubbed his left eye with the heel of his free hand, having a craving for a cigarette.

It was thoughts like that, that had kept him out walking for almost five hours straight. They were thoughts that contradicted each other or went in circles and drove him nuts. Thoughts that made no sense but were completely true. Thoughts that were entirely absurd.

Kei looked at David and saw that he'd started sucking on the corner of his lip in his sleep, his eyebrows furrowed as if he were deep in thought while he slept. The blonde vampire brushed feathery soft locks of hair from David's forehead and leaned down, brushing his lips across the soft skin in a very parental way. Then he stood up and turned the lamp in the room off before leaving as silently as he'd come in.

Feeling exhausted finally, Kei lowered himself down to lay on his bed, making sure to make as little noise as possible. He was asleep as soon as he made himself comfortable.

* * *

_Kei smiled, grinning almost as the warm breeze floating across the ocean swept his blonde hair back from his face and brought with it the smells of the sea. The sun from above warmed his face and caused sparkling white flames to dance over the water hundreds of feet below him. Kei's legs leisurely kicked in the open air below him as he sat on the plank of sturdy wood held to the lighthouse made of cake behind him with ropes made of red licorice._

_He saw in the distance a beer-bottle dolphin jump, spouting amber liquid from it's blow hole, before crashing back to the waves below. And then the line attached to the fishing pole in Kei's hands was tugged on and he began reeling furiously._

_Far below the water splashed around as the fish he was reeling in fought for its life. But in a matter of seconds Kei had pulled in a ten pound box of chocolates shaped like a fish and covered in iridescent red scales. He reached into the bucket next to him and quickly wrapped the writhing fish in red cellophane before it could get away. Then he unhooked the fish and threw it onto the large hammock full of fish he'd already caught hanging from the top of the lighthouse, also held up by licorice ropes._

_Sho would love it when Kei presented him with the net full of large, wiggling fish he'd caught. Everything from a Kegcharodon to the box fish of chocolates he'd caught not minutes ago._

_But just as he cast his line out into the ocean again, enjoying the slow paced activity of fishing, a loud screech was heard and he looked up into the pale blue sky above. Spiraling around in circles, getting nearer and nearer, was a large, orange flaming bird. A phoenix, Kei recalled._

_"KEI!" A familiar voice called excitedly from the sky and the blonde vampire startled. He jumped into a standing position, letting his fishing pole fall into the crashing waves below. He knew that voice. It belonged to Luka. But… Luka was dead._

_"LUKA!" Kei called back, filled with a warm sort of ache at knowing his old lover was nearby._

_The firebird descended, swooping carelessly close to the lighthouse._

_"You can't land here, Luka!" Kei shouted, shielding his eyes from the sun as he watched the phoenix and his lover riding on the bird's back as they circled the lighthouse. "The lighthouse is of cake! If you land, it will catch fire and we will all surely fall into the whirlpool below."_

_Which would suck them into a haunted house filled with demons, Kei continued in his head._

_To solve their problems though, Luka just jumped from the firebird's back to land gracefully and silently on the gangway surrounding the top of the lighthouse. He was holding something bulky wrapped in his coat. Kei ran over to greet him, his feet moving from hard wood to soft, spongy cake._

_As he got closer to his former lover he realized that Luka was opaque. It was as though all the colors that Luka was make up of were faded and almost transparent. He was a corporeal ghost._

_"Look, Kei! I've found him!" Luka exclaimed excitedly, uncovering the bulky thing in his arms wrapped up in his coat. "I've found our son!"_

_And with a flourish he unveiled a large, oval watermelon with short, black hair growing from what Kei assumed to be its head._

_"He's looks adorable." A new voice commented and Kei looked to his right and found that David had suddenly appeared. Except his hair was all black._

_Then, quite suddenly, he was brandishing a plastic spork which he used to stab the baby watermelon with. Luka shrieked as a squirt of red shot out from the wound and splattered over Kei's face, landing mostly on him mouth and cheek. And David used the spork to saw through the tough, green rind of the watermelon to get to the vulnerable, refreshing flesh hidden by it._

_Once a deep, thick incision had been made, David swooped down and hungrily slurped out the watermelon's flesh. And Kei watched as the watermelon baby, his son, dried out and its hair became white before disappearing at the same time a shock of white hair appeared behind David's ear._

_When he was done he tossed the rasin of a watermelon over the railing of the lighthouse where a Kegcharodon snapped it up in its jaws of saw-edged razors. Kei gaped as the events played out in front of him, not sure what to think of what had just happened to his and Luka's precious watermelon baby. He looked to Luka for advice but found the man tightly embracing David. David hugged him back just as tightly._

_And as if the strange happenings before couldn't get any odder, Luka suddenly bared his fangs and dug them into David's neck where spurts of pink yogurt jumped out from the bite. Luka drank up the yogurt-y blood hungrily._

_One particular spurt landed on Kei's face, right onto his cheekbone, only to drip down to his chin, thick and warm. Kei touched it with a finger and examined its light pink color before licking it up. It tasted tangy and like watermelons._

_"Kei!" Sho's voice suddenly yelled and the blonde vampire spun around and saw Sho behind him on the gangway. He was frozen in place but that didn't last long as he quickly ran over and grabbed the shorter male. He kissed Kei on the mouth sloppily, pulling him close before licking at Kei's lips and cheek._

_"Mmm Kei, you taste like strawberries," he mumbled before pulling back and glancing over Kei's shoulder. He gasped and flung Kei into the sugar-glass windows of the lighthouse. Kei turned his head to look and saw Luka bleeding blueberry blood from his wrist into David's mouth._

_Lightening quick, Sho rammed into the dark-haired man, throwing him to the ground and releasing David from his hold. Luka looked into Sho's blue eyes and inhaled sharply. And before Kei could react, Luka was fiercely kissing Sho with both their mouths wide open. Sho trembled and his eyes fell shut as he kissed Luka._

_Kei's blood burned in anger even as he felt a small bit of lustful-stirring in his groin. With a growl of fury he ripped Sho from on top of Luka because dammit, Sho was __**HIS**__! Then Sho cried out and pushed at Luka with all his might. Luka stumbled with a shocked expression and even the railing made of Kit-Kats and licorice rope couldn't save him from falling into the whirlpool around the base of the lighthouse._

_"Kei, you saved me!" Sho exclaimed dramatically, looking into Kei's eyes with adoration. "How can I thank thee! For surely my body would never be enough!"_

_But as Kei opened his mouth to respond, his heartbeat racing and his belly filling with heat at the thought of Sho's body being all his, the moon suddenly eclipsed the sun and the world fell into darkness. A harsh scream was heard from somewhere and Kei could hear the sound of tearing flesh and chomping jaws. Sho's fingers dug into his arms as the man radiated sheer terror._

_"Help me, Kei!" David shouted from somewhere far away, sounding like he was sobbing._

_Then Kei felt his body wrenched around in the darkness and he could feel wind whipping around him as vertigo claimed his stomach and head._

He gasped, throwing his head back as he shot up into a sitting position. His hand immediately went to his panicking heart as he panted violently, his eyes darting around the room. Sunlight leaked through the curtain to dimly illuminate the small living room and Kei realized he was in his and Sho's flat. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. His skin was sticky with cold sweat and he wondered for a minute how long he'd been asleep.

With an exasperated sigh he fell back on the bed and stared at the ceiling, and, thinking back on his dream, he wondered if one of his last meals might have been on LSD or some other crazy hallucinogenic drug. The more logical part of his brain told him that if they had, hours after he'd drank their blood there would be no effects from it. Especially with his vampiric metabolism breaking down anything that would harm a human's body.

Kei groaned in annoyance and decided that it would better if he just got comfortable, shut his eyes, and went to sleep so he didn't have to deal with whatever was going on in his head.

_Kei frowned as he heard the odd noises in the flat when he walked in the front door. He'd been out shopping and David was with Gabe so Sho should be alone. But it didn't sound like he was._

_Kei kicked the door shut behind him and dropped the bags he had in his hands on the floor nearby before taking off his red coat. Underneath he was wearing a white wifebeater that had red and black words on it saying "Bite me" with blood splatters. His boots disappeared from his feet as he made his way towards the noises that seemed to be coming from Sho's bedroom. The thought of a fight going on in there between Sho and a maybe-burglar passed through Kei's head but it didn't sound like that was what was happening._

_He opened the door and looked around, his eyes landing on Sho's bed. He froze at what he saw there._

_Sho was on his knees, legs spread apart for balance as he rested his upper body on his elbows, facing the head of the bed, with his head in a naked Luka's lap. Luka was reclining comfortably against the pillows piled behind him against the headboard. He had one hand in Sho's hair while the other held onto Sho's shoulder as Sho's head rose and fell in his lap, sucking him off._

_Kei felt his blood boil as the shock wore off and he realized that his dead lover was using his Sho's mouth for pleasure when Kei should be the only one getting it. But even as anger tensed every line of his body, something inside him stirred and he found himself feeling quite turned on at the thought of the two of them. And very suddenly his anger was consumed by a fierce lust and he groaned as it throbbed in his veins._

_"Look who's joined us, Sho-kun," Luka said, his voice raspy from arousal._

_Sho pulled his mouth from Luka's erection and turned his head, looking over his shoulder. He whimpered softly when he saw the look in Kei's eyes, the blush on his cheeks darkening before he turned back to his task of leisurely pleasuring Luka with his lips and tongue and mouth._

_"Join us, Kei," Luka urged, sliding one hand teasingly down Sho's back making him shiver._

_Kei ripped his shirt off and crawled onto the bed, his pants disappearing. He couldn't stop the desire pushing him to take Sho and grabbed the man's hips, forcing himself into Sho's body. Sho moaned loudly and pushed back against him, obviously wanting more._

A sudden, loud blast jerked Kei awake and he fell out of his bed, confused, horny, and wondering what the fuck was going on as his heart raced. He scrambled up, looking for the cause of the noise.

He didn't have to look far as he saw the front door of the apartment on the living room floor, hinges ripped right from the frame, with David pinned against it under Gabe in a heap of limbs. Large scratches marred the wood floor from the doorway, streaming sunlight into the apartment, to where the bottom edge of the door was. The two on the door paused in their furious wrestling to glance guiltily at him.

Almost as one they jumped up earnestly shouting.

"WE FISS IT!"

Then they turned and picked up the door, holding it over their heads, and started carrying it to the empty doorway. Kei watched skeptically as then put it down so it was standing up to cover the doorway, upside-down. At the same time the two teens turned and attempted to slip out the small cracks on the sides of the door. They ran into each other on the other side and fell into the door, knocking it over again. Both broke into fits of laughter.

"It's too early to deal with this shit," Kei mumbled before making his way to the bathroom.

"Did you see his boner?" David stage whispered to Gabe, giggling at Kei's unfortunate problem.

"RENOB!" Gabe cackled and then jumped up. "We need tools!"

"HOME DEPOT HO!" David shouted, jumping up and pointing a finger in the air with a hand on his hip for emphasis, just as the bathroom door slammed shut.

"I don't think there are Home Depots in Asia…" Gabe said.

"HARDWARE STORE HO!" David amended and ran down the stairs, out into the world of Mallepa. Gabe slammed the door shut, getting it stuck in the door way, before taking off after the hyperactive boy on a mission.

Meanwhile, in the bathroom Kei was in a warm shower with his hand between his legs as he tried to forget everything that had happened in the last twelve hours.

* * *

Later that evening Sho returned home from the day spent with Toshi, Son, and Yi-Che to find the front door painted chrome and the doorknob on the opposite side it was normally on. And one side of the doorframe wasn't painted like the rest of it, being just plain wood covered in a stain and a sealer. There was also a new doorknob and new black hinges.

He didn't receive straight answer from David when he inquired about the new door. And Kei was ignoring him.

Sho was confused but let it be.

* * *

**Jaded's after-words:** -Everyone who reads and updates! Especially SOUBI and SATCHI! ...yeah well anyway... if you would have read the warnings you would know what to expect... so if you want to flame GO FOR IT! I'll get a laugh. Then I shall roast marshmallows and heat my house which is currently freezing...

ALSO! What do you think of the new story title?


	9. Bonding Time

**Story Title:** You should know this now so this is going to disappear soon

**Chapter Title: **Bonding Time

**Rating:** _PG-13_/R (_chapter_/story)

**Chapter: **9/?**  
**

**Warnings: **fillery, cussing... **  
**

**Disclaimer: **Gackt owns Moon Child right? (I guess that means he own Kei too huh? *wiggles eyebrows*)

**Pairings:** Kei/Sho, Kei/Yi-Che, Kei/? ...?

**Jaded's fore-words:** I haven't put anything out for anyone who is still reading this for a while so I thought I might as well just post this fillery chapter while I am still working out the next chapter. Damn it to hell, it's got me stumped. Anyway. Enjoy this bit of bonding between Sho and David.

* * *

Over the course of the next week Kei began realizing that he stared at Sho a lot without knowing he was. He also started to feel the influence of the things the tall man did. Things he never quite noticed since he was forcing himself to remain oblivious. But with his new-found discovery that he was, honest-to-whatever-god-out-there, attracted to Sho (and possibly in love with him - because he was still choosing denial over the repercussions of that) Kei had found himself barely managing to suppress the urge to jump the man with braids before he forced himself to run away from the man and calm down (usually by hiding somewhere like the shower or an alley or a locked, disgusting public bathroom where he could wank in peace).

Often, Kei couldn't even fathom how some of the things Sho did would cause Kei to get hard, or feel the burning stir of arousal in his groin and abdomen. Things like Sho smiling a certain way or walking around shirtless or touching Kei's shoulder to get his attention or pouting or laying on the couch or staring at Kei… The list could go on and on since, when Kei really looked, almost everything about Sho could arouse desire or turn him on. For almost absolutely no reason. At the worst of times. An example being that one night they were hanging out with Toshi, Son and Yi-Che in the park as Yi-Che painted at night and Sho had snuggled up to him, claiming he was cold. (He had fallen asleep five minutes later.) But the point was, Kei thought Yi-Che might have noticed. But he couldn't be sure since she just went right back to painting with a soft smile on her face.

Other times the things Sho did could be so blatantly taken sexually Kei wondered at his own control over not jumping the man and potentially knocking things like bowls of cereal or vases or Bob onto the floor in the process. Like when Sho bent over to get something from the fridge and perfectly showed Kei his ass as he stood in the doorway and David slurped up a bowl of some kind of chocolatey cereal drowned in milk. Or when Sho straddled a chair and was smirking at some perverted joke Toshi had made. Or when he walked around the apartment naked except for a towel after he got out of the shower.

Anyway, what Kei was trying to get across, was that Sho made him unbearably horny all the time now.

And he knew what he'd decided to do to would probably hurt the man but Kei felt better knowing that he could just brush it all off as a misunderstanding, say he was actually hunting more, and play it up so Sho didn't feel like Kei was pulling away from him to hurt him. Because really, Kei decided to pull away to protect Sho from himself and his libido worse than a hormone-crazed teenager's.

Speaking of teenagers, by the time a week had passed Kei was practically going crazy and had realized the perfect way to get Sho out of his hair for a while.

David.

He kicked them out of the apartment after Sho had done almost everything Kei had on his slowly, ever-increasing list of "Things Sho Should Never Be Allowed To Do" with the excuse that David needed to feed and that they were running low on groceries and it was Sho's responsibility to take care of David's needs, since he'd been the one to insist the teen stayed with them.

Before they'd left, David had suspiciously sniffed Kei's shoulder as he was pushed out the door and had raised and eyebrow as Sho followed and the door was slammed in their faces.

Kei added that to his "List of Things to Ask David About."

Then he leaned against the wall and dropped his forehead into his palm.

He'd never made so many long lists in his life.

This upset him.

He vowed to make them shorter….

Somehow.

* * *

"So…" Sho started, scratching the back of his head above his braids while frowning sideways at David as they walked. "Uhm, should uh… Should we go to the grocery store first or uhm, should I uh… take you somewhere to feed?"

"I've been feeding this whole week," David stated, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Not much, since I only glut on blood when it's absolutely needed, but enough to keep the thirst from being painful. I'm not as defenseless as Kei plays me out to be with his actions and words. I _can_ take care of myself."

Sho chuckled. "I know what you mean."

"Don't get me wrong, though. Being taken care of, well it's the best feeling in the world. Knowing somebody cares can't compare to anything. And to be perfectly honest, I'd rather someone took care of me," David said softly and sighed. He glanced at a colorful stall selling small clothing accessories, like scarves, with a smile, his eyes squinting from the sun. "But I'm not infantile."

"What do we do now then?" Sho questioned, amused and looked directly at the short teen.

"I'm not sure but one thing I do know is, I need some SPF now. I'll be redder than a lobster in half-an-hour if I don't get some sunscreen," David casually announced with a smile, strolling along in the hot sun. "I _am_ still part vampire. I do burn. Just not in an instant."

Sho rolled his eyes but put his arm around David's shoulders to steer him in the direction of a convenience store.

* * *

They were on the beach standing with their shoes off and their toes dug into the damp sand barely touched by the lapping waves of the ocean. David was on the right and Sho was on the left. Sho's hands were in his open jacket's pockets and David had one hand in the back pocket of his jeans while his other was thrown over his shoulder, fingers lazily curled around the handles of a white cloth bag that carried a bottle of sunscreen, a brimmed black hat and an energy drink. Both of them were staring blankly out at the waves, listening as they crashed into one another and rolled the distance to touch their toes.

"Kei used to bring me here as a kid . . . when it was cloudy of course," Sho said and David blinked, life shining back into his eyes before he glanced at Sho. He waited and Sho didn't disappoint.

"We don't do much of anything anymore," Sho continued, sounding a little forlorn. "Well, except for heists and when I can persuade him to tag along somewhere with me. He usually does everything he can to push me out of the apartment. And if I don't leave then _he_ finds a way to."

"What is Kei to you?" David questioned curiously, voice light as he turned to stare at Sho.

"Everything," Sho answered quickly. He realized what he said and a blush crawled across his cheeks. David's lips split into a teasing grin and Sho laughed.

"Not like that," he said and dropped himself onto the sand. David plopped down next to him in a similar fashion, paying close attention to Sho without showing it. "What I meant was that he's always been there, ever since I found him and he saved Toshi and my brother and I. He's more than best friend and he's more than a brother and he's more than any parent ever could be."

"Is he a lover then?" David asked innocently, easily able to play on Sho's words to direct the conversation.

Sho gave him an incredulous look that hinted at surprised. Then he closed his eyes and shook his head, directing his gaze back to sea. He seemed to think for a moment before responding.

"No. I've never thought of him like that before. . . Not including that one time when I was sixteen and dreamt of him. That confused me for weeks."

David grinned, knowing the experience. Too bad weird shit like that would keep happening in dreams if you let it. (David liked letting it. It gave a new perspective on life for a bit after he would wake.)

"But since then it's never happened again. No weird dreams. No straying thoughts. Although I had plenty of those about girls. . ." Sho blushed then. "And maybe a couple guys then. About Kei though? It just wasn't like that."

"So you're relationship is basically undefined except for the simple constants of your lives," David mused aloud and Sho nodded.

David picked up his discarded shoes, now with sand stuck to their damp sides, and examined them, brushing the sand off with a thoughtful frown. He put each into the bag he had when they were sandless and loosely tied the handles closed.

"I'm going to guess that you're comfortable with the fact that Kei's distant closeness doesn't bother you except when you remember how close he was before you grew up," David stated and glanced at Sho for confirmation.

"Not exactly but yes in some ways. I miss when we used do things together, like come to the beach. And when he would braid my hair for me, too. I miss him and it's annoying sometimes because he's right there; same as always, yet so different."

Sho sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. He frowned in annoyance when his hand caught on his pony tail holding his braids together and with a yank he snapped the stretched elastic and the braids were free. He looked at the broken band before tossing it over his shoulder, taking a deep breath and relaxing.

"I'm not usually this talkative, especially about emotions," Sho said quietly, leaning back and staring at David.

"Every person is multifaceted. We all show different sides to different people. I tend to bring out the more emotion-sharing trait in others," David stated with a shrug.

"You're a weird kid, you know that, David," Sho said and chuckled.

"I'm very much aware of the fact that I'm not average or normal in a lot of ways but what makes you say that?" David inquired with a tilt of his head.

"Growing up after I found Kei, all Toshi and I thought of was girls, guns, and having a good time. Heists - we found - were a crazy, interesting, adventurous way to get money in Mallepa _and_ help Kei survive. Kei was against it but we practically forced him to teach us how to live by pulling heists and slipping around gangs. But with you. . . Well, everything's just a bit off. You act like a kid once second and then speak like an old man then next. You blur lines between being a woman and being a man. Sometimes you seem completely naive and others it's like you're a hundred and fifty. And you just think oddly, like a philosopher, and I'm just not used to it in a place like this, I guess," Sho explained, frowning in confusion and shaking his head a little.

"That's okay. Most people in a place like this confuse me. So if I confuse them and they confuse me I believe everything is just fine," David said with a couple nods as if it made all the sense in the world. It did.

They were silent for a while and David stood up, leaving his things on the beach before taking off at a mad sprint into the sea. He hit the water and kept going. When resistance kicked his knees, he dove straight into a small wave and kept going. From where Sho was watching him, David looked like a puppy playing in the water for the first time, diving and jumping and paddling around hyperly.

When David came back seven minutes later he was drenched and dripping but satisfied and grinning. Without a word, and still grinning, he walked over to Sho, gathering the front of his soaked t-shirt in his hands, and he wrung the salty water right onto Sho's face. Sho, eyes closed and unsuspecting, flew up from the sand wiping the water from his face and spluttering a bit. Upon noticing David cackling like a madman he grabbed the teenager by the legs and yanked him down, pinning him in his lap with a headlock as he grabbed a handful of sand. With an evil grin of his own he smushed the tiny grains into David's wet hair, rubbing his hand around to ground it in.

David cried out and struggled against him, tugging his head back and pushing at Sho's sensitive sides. Sho released him on reflex, feeling an unwanted giggle bubbling in his throat. He coughed to clear it out as David furiously swiped his hands through his hair in a futile attempt to rid it of the sand. He raised his gaze and glared at Sho, looking more like he was pouting with his bottom lip sticking out just slightly more than usual, and Sho couldn't contain the laughter that tickled him.

"Payback's a bitch," he said and David's eyes gleamed angrily for a second before he sighed and resigned himself to his payback. He _did_, after all, get Sho first.

"I think you're burning," Sho stated after his laughter died down. "Your arms look a bit pink."

David blinked owlishly, not comprehending, before examining one of his arms. It did look pink. He poked it and it stung just the slightest. Then he shielded his eyes with a hand and glanced up at the sun's position. It looked to be about three-in-the-afternoon-ish.

"We should get somewhere shady. . . Or indoors," David stated as he reached for his bag. "It's bad enough I've been out in the afternoon sun, but I'm almost out of sunscreen and I've already started to burn."

Sho nodded and grabbed his shoes, slipping his socks back on so he could fit his feet into them as David did the same with his sneakers. He stood up and David followed him, opening the bottle of sunscreen and quickly rubbing as much of it as he could onto his skin. His brow furrowed at the slight burn his nerves experienced from the sunscreen. That wasn't a good sign. He definitely needed to get out of the sun for a while.

His stomach took that moment to clench painfully and growl as loud as possible. Sho gave him a funny look as he stumbled slightly while they walked through the sand, heading towards the car and the city.

"Lets do that shopping Kei mentioned when he kicked us out eh?" Sho suggested and David nodded, pressing his arm into his stomach as if it would help the twisting ache and occasional sharp pain there.

This was bad.

* * *

They were back in the flat as five o'clock rolled around and David was sitting on the couch eating a sandwich with his second bag of chips since they entered the grocery store earlier. The tv was on and droning something uninteresting but colorful. Kei was gone. Neither he nor Sho knew how but the vampire _was_ gone. And David's stomach wasn't cramping anymore.

"Feel better?" Sho asked as he came from the kitchen, sitting down carefully next to the teen whose mouth was full. David's legs were crossed and he balanced a plate in his lap as he munched on his monstrous sandwich.

He nodded in answer to Sho's question, accepting the can of orange soda he was offered.

"What was that before?" Sho demanded as David swallowed before taking a drink of the soda.

"My body getting pissed at me for not taking care of it," David answered simply, taking a smaller bite of his sandwich.

"You mentioned before about blood and food having to be balanced in your diet. . . Was that it?"

David nodded, chewing thoughtfully. He wondered how he could explain what exactly had happened to Sho.

"Yeah the side effects of not having enough food to. . . carry out the tasks fueled by the blood I drank last night," David answered once he swallowed. He placed his sandwich back onto its plate and set the plate aside, seeing that this would be a difficult conversation to have while eating.

"Food is fuel for the human body right?" David asked rhetorically. "Blood fuels a vampire. My parents were vampires and since vampires are. . . humans with altered DNA- You know how babies are made right? And I'm not talking about the sex aspect of it. Like the scientific way."

Sho nodded. He may not have had schooling but he did have Kei, who had been around for a long time.

"So uhm when you get half your DNA from both your parents, certain traits are recessive and others are dominant, et cetera, et cetera. When vampires have children they pass on the human DNA with traces vampirism in it and when everything comes together the vampiric traits are like one of those genes that are mutually expressed. Like in flowers if you mix red ones with white and you get pink ones. So instead of getting an exclusively human or exclusively vampire child, you get a mix.

"Because of this mix, my body needs the energy and amino acids and nutrients and et cetera that food provides to keep everything functioning. Without food, I'd starve to death except for the fact that I am also part vampire and vampires can't truly die from starvation. So I need blood to keep my vampirism-run . . .goings-ons in my body healthy. Because I'm part vampire, I heal faster and see better and move quicker and live longer and all that other stuff and without blood things like that become severely impaired. But I need food for it all to work. Like at the beach when I started to burn. I'd had the blood to aid in healing it and keeping the burning effect of the sun at bay but without food I didn't have the energy to do it. That's why I got the cramps. . . and why I felt dizzy until I drank the energy drink.

"If I were to ever go without one or the other for too long my body would basically begin shutting down. If I didn't have blood and I was trapped somewhere I couldn't get food I _would_ _actually_ starve to death. It would take a long time and be extremely painful but it _would_ happen. I can _survive_ with only one or the other for a while but it would be a painful, miserable, coma-like existence since my body would be attempting to shut down one way while trying to stay alive another. I'd have no energy and be in all kinds of pain until I was either turned into a vampire or drank copious amounts of blood while eating a whole feast by myself to return me to normal.

"But even then I'd have to have a little bit of . . .will to do that. I'd have to be able to work past the pain or something. At the-" David paused and Sho frowned, knowing David had been about to accidentally reveal some secret but he let it slide in favor of hopefully hearing some solution in case David ever ended up in a position like they'd just barely avoided. ". . .We've found that the easiest thing to do when that happens is just drink another part-vampire's blood. Doing that lessens the pain and gives a window to being able to eat and feed without being curled up because of the vicious pain. Not to mention it's a little boost that can jump you from point-A-hopeless to point-B-eating-feeding."

Sho nodded understandingly.

"Have you ever been there, in that pain?" He asked curiously and David nodded.

"A few times," David said. "Before I knew my other friends I was. . . acquaintances with a couple other part-vampire children who would help me out. Gabe has only ever had to give me blood once."

"Could Kei give you blood too?" Sho inquired hopefully. It'd be a great simple solution if David ever forgot to eat or feed. Or he couldn't for some reason.

But David shook his head, his colorful hair swinging a little.

"Not unless everyone, including myself, decided that I should be a full-fledged vampire. Do you know why a vampire's blood is valuable?" David questioned, looking Sho in the eyes as though the answer to that was grave.

Sho shook his head. He didn't even know vampire blood _was _valuable. Kei never told him and Sho had almost never even seen Kei bleed.

"It's because vampire blood is what changes a human. The venom injected when a human is bitten is just a prep for the actual change. Vampire venom can mess with the nervous system a great deal when it's in a body, which is why some people can find a vampire bite the worst or best experience they've ever had. What they don't know is that the pain or pleasure they're feeling directly corresponds with how well the venom is preparing their body for change. Pain means the victim probably wouldn't survive being changed because the venom isn't reacting well with their body and pleasure usually means they would, since their body is easily accepting the preparations and letting the venom 'tap into' the nervous system."

"What happens if you don't drink vampire blood after being bitten?"

"The venom is absorbed by and combined with special antibodies that commit suicide once the venom is gone from the body. There have been instances when the antibodies aren't created and the person gets a vamp's blood into their system and turn. There are also cases where the antibodies don't die and a person can never be changed because the antibodies get rid of the vampire blood in the person's system also."

"You make it all sound so scientific. What happened to vampires being mythical creatures and no one knowing how or why they exist?" Sho asked with an incredulous laugh.

"Welcome to the twenty-first century," David said with a wry grin. "But still, technically vampires are still mythical ...and mysterious. There are always surprises and unexplainable things happening."

There was a stretch of silence in which Sho frowned intently at the wall and David eyed his sandwich sadly, wanting to eat it very much. But when Sho showed no signs of opening his mouth again to spew more questions David asked a question of his own.

"Can I eat my sandwich?"

Sho gave a small jerk of surprise and looked at David blankly in confusion. An airy "huh?" left his mouth.

"Can I eat my sandwich now?" David reiterated. "You've been asking a lot of questions that require big answers and I'm hungry and very much tired of talking. So can I eat my sandwich now?"

"Is that a complicated way of asking if I'm done asking questions?" Sho said with a quirked eyebrow that made him look a little cocky.

"Yes."

"Eat your sandwich, dork. I won't bug ya anymore."

"Thank gods!" David exclaimed and pulled his sandwich back onto his lap like Sho had just sent him a godsend or something.

Sho just chuckled and pretended to watch tv while really mulling all the new information on vampires around in his head. He subconsciously wondered about how he might use it against Kei in one of their next arguments.

* * *

_Sho was dreaming. He knew he was dreaming. He knew because it was one of those dreams that are a lot like life except for the time frame seems just a little off and everything is like a blurry, old video with fading sound._

_In his dream he was walking through Mallepa with his hands in his pockets. Completely normal except he was about seventeen and his unbraided hair was longer around his face and his braids had yet to discover the confines of a hair-tie. The sun was hot as always and Sho wasn't wearing his customary jacket, the one he didn't start wearing until he was eighteen, almost a year later. The only shield his torso had against the elements was a fitting, white t-shirt to keep him cool and prevent major sunburn._

_He was strolling through the stalls and storefronts of the overtaken side streets too crowded for cars. He had absolutely no cares in the world. And the breeze in his dream was welcome and cool._

_Sho spotted a flash of pink and suddenly David was there, jumping onto his back yelling out "Mush" as if Sho were a dog. A younger, teenager Toshi jogged over out of breath from having been chasing David and glanced around curiously._

_"Where's Kei?" He asked and Sho saw his mouth moving, knew what he was saying, but didn't actually hear Toshi's voice. Sometimes it was the way of dreams._

_He shrugged._

_"Hiding maybe, from you," Sho teased and Toshi pouted, turning away with a grumble. David bounced on Sho's back, babbling while knowing no one was paying any attention to him. And they continued walking, Sho now carrying the surprisingly-light teenager._

_Hot day turned to cool evening and yet they were still walking. But now it was through a park. A park with a big familiar mural of a woman and trees and kid's toys._

_'Isn't that your brother?' Toshi said and even though there was no sound and Sho didn't see his lips move he knew that's exactly what Toshi said._

_Sho looked where Toshi was looking and indeed saw his brother. He was sitting at a picnic table with Yi-Che, smoking from a bong while Yi-Che smiled a little awkwardly at him. Toshi raised his hand, ready to call and get Shinji's attention when out of nowhere Kei strolled into the park and Shinji glared at him as he approached._

_Kei suddenly grabbed Yi-Che and yanked her head back, sinking his teeth into her neck with the typical allure of a vampire. She gasped and Shinji froze, shocked at what was taking place in front of him._

_Soon Yi-Che had fainted and Kei let go of her before turning on Shinji who changed to look like an unfamiliar man, someone Sho didn't know._

_Toshi appeared next to Kei and the other man, his mouth moving as no sound escaped before he fainted as Kei practically devoured the other man's mouth in a kiss. David hollered approvingly from a tree, no longer attached to Sho's back. He was a monkey-human now. Sho just knew this._

_Suddenly Sho was in the man's place, being kissed by Kei. Except he wasn't really there. His mind was in the man's head. His body was still over by the edge of the park. But yet Sho was the man._

_An eruption of tingling in his groin and along his spine made him jolt excitedly against Kei. Kei growled and Sho shivered, feeling Kei's teeth against his tongue._

He opened his eyes, staring unfocused at the clock next to his bed. His heart was thumping furiously in his chest and he tried to recall why. He remembered dreaming and walking in the dream. He remembered Kei biting Yi-Che and then he was kissing Kei.

He groaned in annoyance and rolled over, pulling his pillow over his head.

* * *

**Jaded's after-words:** Lame. I know. Fillery, except it explains shit and Sho bonds better with David. Bonding is fun. Admit it. (Random question to be answered if you're bored: If you could, would you?)


	10. Or Not

**Chapter Title: **We Welcome Them Graciously Into Our Home ...Or Not

**Rating:** _PG-15_/R (_chapter_/story)

**Chapter: **10/?**  
**

**Warnings:** dream, kissing, allusions to horrible things, arguments and fights, slight brief nudity, parental actions, yadiyada...

**Disclaimer: **Gackt owns Moon Child right? (I guess that means he own Kei too huh? *wiggles eyebrows*)

**Pairings: **Luka/Kei, Lindsay/David, slight barely even thereness Kei/Sho

**Jaded's fore-words: **HAPPY CHRISTERMASTER AND MERRY HOLIDAYS! AND A WONDERFUL BOXING DAY TO YOU ALL! I hope everyone punched someone in the face. So I hope everyone's had some fun holidays and etc. I liketh this chapter cuz I hearts David hardcore so uh... Have fun reading and remember to give me lots of reviews and commentses on this one cuz I hearts it and all and wanna know all about it.**  
**

[_dream-thoughts or conscious thoughts while dreaming_]

* * *

[_The beach again._]

_The dark night sky was slowly fading to the early blue-black color that appears just before the dawn. Hesitant moon beams washed in with the surf as they walked along the sand near the water's edge, a fascinating silver shimmering on Luka's face. _[_Kei remembered now, that they had gone to the beach the day Luka died, before the sun had risen, and talked._]

_"Luka," Kei said quietly, watching his lover's face. A slight turn of the head told Kei he was listening. "Dawn's close." Luka flinched at the word 'dawn.' "We need to get somewhere protected."_

_"You go. I'm done," Luka said equally as quiet. Melancholy touched his tone gently._

_"Luka…?" Kei asked with trepidation. "Luka, you can't mea-"_

_"Kei, I can't. Not anymore," Luka said with heavy, jaded breaths. _[_What had caused Luka to give up? Kei couldn't remember._]

_"I can't believe you're giving up so easily!" Kei cried, anger and pain twisting inside his chest in a writhing ball of fire. He grabbed at the sleeve of Luka's jacket, tugging his lover around to face him._

_A too familiar hand held his face as he cried silently, warm tears streaming down his cheeks to drip onto the cold sand below. Kei's fist tightened around the handful of fabric clutched in his fingers as a forehead pressed against his own. His free hand grabbed Luka's wrist. Lips pressed soothingly against his and he let out a soft sob against them. _[_Kei couldn't think of any other time in his life he felt like such a woman. And he didn't even know what he had been crying in the first place._]

_"Think of it like this, Kei," Luka whispered, a sense of pleading entering his voice. "You stay here and keep looking while I go there to look." _[_That was bullshit. They both knew it._]

_"You really believe he's dead?" Kei choked out, wishing Luka would hold him and tell him they'd find Kiyoshi, like when he'd first disappeared and every day was filled with hope._

_"I pray to anything that listens he's not," Luka responded, kissing Kei's lips again, lingering, savoring. "But Kei, sometimes you just have to face the reality of what might've happened. It is possible he's dead. We lost all leads and-"_

_"I don't care," Kei interrupted venomously, jerking back slightly. "I won't stop looking for him. …I refuse to give up on him."_

_"Then live, Kei," Luka whispered, tugging Kei forward with a hand on the blonde's neck. His lips pressed against salty skin and slightly gritty locks of pale gold. "Live for him and look for him. And always know that I'm sorry I couldn't stay."_

_Kei sniffled. _[_This was when he thought about that night they fled Japan when the world as they knew it collapsed around them. Kei remembered how much he resented Luka for giving up after they'd ended up in Mallepa to make things easier for Kei. But now Kei couldn't remember why he needed special treatment in the first place. Had he been ill or something?_]

_The sun was pinkening the sky and causing a faint white glow to appear on the horizon where it would crest._

_"I'm sorry, Kei," Luka apologized. Kei's grip on his lover tightened for a second before his fists relaxed and Luka slipped away from Kei, brushing past him._

…

_"Yuugure ni kimi to mita Orenji no Taiyou~_

_nakisou na kao wo shite eien no sayonara… "_

_Kei watched Luka burning in the sun, singing that soft melody he had used to soothe Kei when he'd found the blonde as a newly transformed vampire, confused and in pain and overly-sensitive to everything around him, then he turned and ran for a safer shelter._

…

_Years later… He was starved and exhausted and depressed and found by a young boy in a dilapidated concrete building. He had no idea why he was so exhausted. He attributed the depression and his starved state to his lost companion - the man he had as a lover. He was so thirsty… The boy's neck smelled so delicious in the dusty building. His innocent eyes reminded Kei so much of-…_

Kei jerked with a soft gasp and his eyes fluttered open quickly. Artistic light partition bars, wall, chair, living room on the other side, daybed, the tv running… everything was as it should be.

"Kei?" David inquired softly to get the vampire's attention. Kei turned his head toward the door to find the teen kneeling on the wood floor next to the daybed instead holding Kei's clenching and unclenching hand, blocking most of Kei's view of the door.

"Was it a particularly horrible nightmare?" He asked with concern shining in his eyes. Kei let go of David's sweaty hand, breathing heavily as he pushed himself up to sit.

"What time is it?" Kei asked, his voice hoarse, and was promptly handed a half-full glass of red liquid. It smelled like blood. He sipped it. It was blood. He raised an eyebrow at David who looked away guiltily.

"Couple hours till sunset," David muttered under his breath.

Kei sighed and leaned his forehead on the palm of his empty hand, elbow propped on his knee.

"And where's Sho? He was here when I fell asleep this afternoon."

"Out with Yi-Che and Son."

Kei exhaled lightly, glad that his human companion who he most-definitely-didn't-have-feelings-for-but-maybe-definitely-found-attractive was out enjoying the day instead of moping around the apartment while he slept. He ignored the small twist of nausea related to that same thought in his stomach and esophagus.

"Do you want to talk about your dream?" David hesitantly inquired and Kei distracted himself by gulping down the blood in the glass.

"I'm fine, David. I'm used to it-"

"I have nightmares too, Kei. Fucked up, horrible nightmares but no matter how many times I have them I'm _always_ glad for someone there when I wake up. You can't tell me that they don't bother you and you can just brush them off!"

Kei gave David a calculating look, taking in the tentative, fearful, angry, upset look in his hazel eyes. David glanced down at his hands in his lap, fiddling with his black tank-top's hem.

"Please stop pushing me away. I'm sorry if what I said made you uncomfortable and angry when I brought up Sho. I was just-" David trembled noticeably, the sudden shaking of his body interrupting his voice and making it difficult to speak. "I don't like people being upset. I was just trying to make you feel better. …it obviously didn't work."

Kei smiled soothingly, unable to find himself anything but worried about David's behavior, and reached down, pulling the teen up onto the daybed with him by his arms. David startled and stared at Kei confused but leaned into his embrace when he pulled him closer. He could feel David's body trembling and he felt at loss. What was wrong? How could he fix it? Was there something going on?

Before Kei could even open his mouth, David inhaled deeply and let out all the air in his lungs with a great sigh, relaxing. For several long moments the trembling was gone and then it was back. Barely there but still happening. But with each breath, David relaxed more and more against Kei and the shaking in his muscles slowed and stopped.

Kei pulled him into his lap, hugging him like a child.

"What was that about?" He asked David with concern.

"Sometimes when I get really emotional about something I just start shaking, whether I'm angry or sad or excited. It just has to be strong emotions and suddenly I'm shaking so much I might as well be vibrating like toothbrush," David explained in a thick voice, sounding very drained. Kei "mm"ed in understanding and stroked his fingers through David's hair.

After a while he realized the young teen was dozing off when drool started creating a wet spot on his shirt. He gently shook David.

"When was the last time you slept?" He asked quietly near David's pierced ear. David groaned and shifted.

"Twenty….nine? hours ago? …maybe…?" Was the mumbled answer he received caught with a yawn.

"Why?"

David stiffened almost imperceptibly in his arms. Then he cleared his throat.

"Nightmares…. They've been… particularly horrible, recently."

That would make sense, Kei reasoned with himself. The way David had reacted to _his_ nightmare had seemed a bit odd, for it not being his own. But it would make sense that David was having nightmare troubles and Kei was so easily brushing off his own nightmare. David probably felt like Kei would do the same if he told him.

"You need sleep," Kei stated and laid David down with care onto the bed they were sitting on.

"I've stayed awake longer," David protested, even as his body was barely under his control and his eyes were already fluttering shut.

"I don't doubt it," Kei said with a chuckle. "But you definitely need sleep."

"Can I have a blanket?" David questioned, implying he wanted Kei to go get a blanket for him to snuggle under. Kei nodded and stood up. He walked into David's bedroom and came out a little bit later with Bob on his shoulder and David's black and silver comforter bunched up in his arms. Without a word he tossed it over David so it covered the teen completely, letting David shift until he was comfortable.

Not even a moment later David was suddenly whisked into the twilight realm of dreaming, falling quickly towards the bottom of Morpheus' abyss. His lips parted with a soft breath and his lips had a light sheen in the corner. Bob jumped from Kei's shoulder, wings humming as he floated down on top of David's waist, sliding to curl up against his stomach. Kei leaned down and kissed David's temple, brushing his pink hair back and feeling very parental.

He sighed, wondering again at how attached to David he'd gotten as he walked toward the kitchen with the empty glass he'd discarded onto the floor.

His dream was all but forgotten.

* * *

It was dusk when later that night Sho flung the door open calling Kei's name.

"Shhh!" Kei hushed him from the couch, pointing at David sleeping soundly on his bed. "If you wake him up, I'll be forced to punch you."

"Oh. Sorry," Sho said but quickly rushed over to Kei, disregarding the vampire's shirtless state. Kei didn't even remember he'd taken his shirt off earlier when he had accidentally splashed blood-water onto it when rinsing the glass from earlier.

"Come with me," Sho practically demanded and grabbed Kei's wrist. Kei expertly slipped his hand away.

"Come with you where?" He questioned with a frown.

"To the beach. Son, Toshi, Yi-Che and I are going and I want you to come with. Not to mention Son and Toshi have been wondering what's up with you recently and Yi-Che seemed eager for you to come along when I brought it up," Sho said and snatched up Kei's wrist again, looking all the more like a little kid.

"What about David? We're not going to wake him up and I'm not leaving him here-"

"He'll be fine," Sho dismissed, waving off Kei's concern for the teen while dragging Kei toward the door. "He's been alone before and besides, Gabe wanted to come over and hang out with him later."

Kei sighed and jerked his hand free from Sho's grip, not seeing the mildly hurt glimmer that flashed in Sho's eyes before disappearing into confusion.

"I need a shirt, Sho," Kei said and smiled amusedly and Sho glanced at his chest, blushing in embarrassment for being so stupid (not anything else at all~). He coughed and turned the other direction.

"Uh yeah, that would be useful and uh… Just go get a shirt and stop laughing at me!" Sho demanded and stomped his foot with his arms crossed, looking like a five-year-old princess who wasn't getting her way.

Kei just chuckled in amusement and walked away into Sho's room where his extra clothes were. He grabbed one of his favorite low-necked, white, peasant shirts and pulled it on before returning to the living room.

"Sho?" He called softly, wondering where the tall man was when he didn't see his head of braids anywhere in the living room.

"Yeah?" Sho answered back from Kei's daybed area. Kei walked over with his hands in his pockets and leaned against the wall, looking at Sho who was sitting in his customary chair, staring fondly at David. He glanced at the blonde.

"He was talking in his sleep," Sho said for explanation. Kei nodded with a quirk of his lips.

"Anyway," Sho said and stood up. "We should get going before Toshi touches something in the car and breaks it."

He brushed past Kei, causing Kei to tense up while he was impossibly close for a split second. Kei smelled Sho's wonderfully addicting scent, his hot blood coursing through his veins, and felt his warmth seep into his skin before Sho was on the other side of the living room and Kei was left grappling for control over his silly putty willpower.

"Kei? You coming?" Sho asked when he reached the door.

"Mmhm," Kei said and spun around with a last glance at David and Bob. He instructed Sho to lock to door and Sho didn't protest, already planning on doing it anyway. Gabe would know how to get in anyway. They knew she knew.

* * *

"Sho, wait," Kei stage whispered urgently, hopping up the steps of their flat to stop Sho from opening the front door.

"What?" Sho asked quietly, mildly annoyed and wondering why Kei stopped him.

"Listen*****," Kei said, mooning at the door.

"_The parents are home,_" Gabe's voice intoned from inside as Sho put his ear to the door.

_"Parents? What?"_ A different, female-sounding voice questioned.

_"David's pretend parents. The two guys that own this place,"_ Gabe said monotonously.

"_Shut up, woman," _David playfully barked, almost sounding a bit sullen, like he didn't like the casual way she referred to Sho and Kei. There was an amused snort.

"_Hey, fuck you, Lindsay,"_ David retorted to the snort and there was the sound of two bodies rolling around on the floor.

Sho glanced at Kei who was staring intently at the door, probably trying to imagine the scuffle happening in their apartment. Kei returned the look briefly before Sho turned the doorknob and swept into the apartment with a stony glare. Kei was right behind him, seeming a bit more casual except for the questioning frown on his face.

They both froze in the entryway, the door clicking shut behind them.

After a quick scan of the people in the living room (noticing the two blondes new to the group) both their gazes landed on David.

David who was straddling some blonde guy's hips, shirtless, hands on the floor on either side of the guy's head, with a burning cigarette held between his middle and forefinger. His head was turned to the side where Sho and Kei were standing, a flush creeping over his face.

The blonde guy he was on top of was casually laying on his back, one hand on David's hip with a lit cigarette held similarly to David's, the other holding a glass of something alcoholic (Sho and Kei both were guessing because of the smell of it in the apartment) out to the side so as to not spill it. He turned his head, blankly looking at Sho and Kei, seemingly giving them a once-over.

An almost imperceptible tapping noise was heard as Gabe knocked the burned contents of a pipe into an ashtray in the middle of their gathering, filled mostly with cigarette butts. Sho glared at the action, knowing what had been in the pipe. The blonde girl sitting on her knees next to Gabe made a squeaking noise at the loathing expression his eyes directed in her general direction.

"What's going on here, David?" Kei questioned evenly, stepping up and placing a calming hand on Sho's arm in warning. He stared at the blushing teen who was avoiding his gaze, instead opting to examine the burning cherry of his cigarette.

There was a tense silence as everyone waited for him to speak. Then he sat back on the blonde's hips, the cigarette between his lips as he expertly drew in a tobacco-filled breath through the filter, and he glanced at the two men whose home they were in and spoke with practiced ease and nonchalance.

"Nothing," he answered with a small shrug, blowing smoke on a sigh. "We're just hanging out."

Kei consciously noted the almost obscenely different way David was acting compared with the way he and Sho knew him to be. He glanced at the blonde under David, who by this time had moved to prop himself up on one elbow facing him and Sho. Maybe he was acting this way because of the two new teens…? A tremble of anger from Sho, felt via Kei's hand on his shoulder, brought him back from his contemplations.

"Gabe, I suggest you get your things together and leave now. Take your friends with you, too," Kei commanded quietly, glancing at the mildly stunned blonde girl as Gabe grabbed her urn and tossed her pipe in. She stood and offered a hand to the blonde girl.

"C'mon, Max," Gabe said, pulling the girl to her feet once she grabbed her hand. "Lets go before shit hits a fan."

"Yeah, uh, good idea," the girl dubbed Max muttered following Gabe as she waltzed out the door, Max herself skirting around Kei and Sho and throwing an exaggerated _'oh-you're-in-trouble-now'_ look at David before pulling the door closed behind her and Gabe.

Sho glared at the blonde, whom David was still sitting on, as he snubbed his cigarette in the ashtray with David's, leaning impossibly close to David to do it. Both men caught the hand on David's lower back, steadying him as he shifted in the blonde's lap, David whispering something into his ear. From the burn in Sho's eyes, Kei interpreted that he didn't approve of the blatant display in front of them and expected the older blonde to leave as well. Kei wasn't too pleased either.

He especially wasn't pleased when David sighed softly, heavily, and the blonde leaned forward to press his lips to David collarbone in a comforting kiss, palms pressing against the smaller teen's back.

Then David was raising himself up from his lap and offering a hand to the blonde, all this under the scrutinizing gazes of Sho and Kei. When both were on their feet they turned and faced the older males in the room, standing close so their arms touched. Kei took in the fact that the top of David's head barely came up to the blonde's chin and came to the nagging conclusion that he was definitely older than David.

"What's this?" Sho asked bluntly, crossing his arms over his chest and staring evilly at the blonde as though he were a cockroach under a microscope for sadistic inspection.

"This is… Lindsay, my lover," David said, pausing in his introduction to glance at the blonde's reassuring expression.

"You're what?" Sho questioned dangerously, narrowed eyes flickering a glance at David before resting once more on Lindsay with dangerous intent.

"My lover, Sho. I do believe that I mentioned a couple times that I'm gay," David said with snark and glare for Sho too.

"That's not even-"

"Sho, go get an extra blanket and pillow," Kei ordered calmly, ever the presence of calm and reason.

"What?" Sho exclaimed rounding on the vampire.

"He can sleep on the couch," Kei explained with a _look_ towards Sho that had the taller man's expression changing to smug. He turned and stalked down the hall. Kei didn't notice since he was too busy taking note of a look of their own passing between Lindsay and David.

"How old is he?" Kei asked, staring at David for an answer as the closet door banged open near Sho's bedroom.

"More or less nineteen." The answer came from Lindsay and not David, causing Kei to send a suspicious glare his way.

"Five years?" Kei inquired cooly, the question completely rhetorical. He glanced between the two, noticing how David's countenance had changed from being somewhat annoyed and embarrassed to completely defensive and challenging at the question. Lindsay's attitude was the same uncaring one he'd displayed toward him and Sho from the very beginning.

"Five years!" Sho practically shouted, hearing what Kei had said. He reentered the room holding a pillow and a haphazardly folded blanket in his hands. His glare was back as he focused on Lindsay.

"Technically four, since David considers himself fifteen," Lindsay said casually, easily matching their threatening glares with a muted one of his own.

"He told us he was fourteen," Sho said, now giving a suspicious eyebrow raise to David. The teen blushed lightly but never wavered in his defensive, challenging stance.

"I told you what was easiest to comprehend. Vampire children age progressively slower than humans. You wouldn't understand that I'm physically stuck between fourteen and fifteen but actually about sixteen or seventeen. Vampire children are basically stuck in limbo between being human and something more, a-k-a a vampire," David explained, voice flat as though he were talking about something he'd rather not. "I associate myself to being fifteen, since it's about in the middle."

"Why didn't you just tell us that then?" Kei asked, trying to understand but not able to banish the slight anger in his voice away.

"Because I feel the need to explain everything and when I told you, I wasn't in the mood for long-winded explanations and inquiries about everything," David intoned with annoyance.

"And how do you know all this about something even normal vampires don't have any idea about?" Sho retorted, realizing not for the first time that Kei knew almost less than he did about everything David told them. It made a spark of nervousness jump in his stomach as he thought to himself that David could be just feeding them bullshit and really be some kind of freaky, blood-obsessed teen jumping at the chance to live out some twisted fantasy. But even as his mind considered this, something inside told him everything David told them was true.

He was so immersed in his thoughts he almost missed the way David tensed at that question and subtly shifted closer to Lindsay, whose fingers gently caressed his forearm. It was a soothing gesture meant to give the suddenly colder looking teen support.

"Because I grew up around a large group of …orphaned vampire children," David pushed out with bite, a small, almost nonexistent tremor passing through him. "And I have a friend who somehow, by some slip of nature, knows everything in the entire fucking world."

Kei stared at David, knowing he was hiding something, and contemplated calling him out. Sho had no such moment of consideration.

"What aren't you telling us, David?" Sho questioned icily. He unconsciously took a step forward and the reaction was immediate in the other two.

David leaned back with a spark of something in his eyes that was gone once Lindsay pulled David's back against his chest, holding him protectively against his body while shooting a black look at Sho. Kei didn't have a chance to identify what the spark was.

"Back. Up," Lindsay practically growled at Sho, his slightly longer canines glimmering in the low light from the lamps.

"It's alright," David placated, placing his hand on Lindsay's thigh near his knee. Lindsay relaxed somewhat but still kept an eye on Sho.

"David," Kei called out barely above a whisper, his voice commanding attention all the more for it. "Go to your room. We're continuing this conversation tomorrow."

A flash of shock passed over David's face and froze there before he sighed and turned to face Lindsay. The blonde looked at him as he slipped one hand onto his shoulder while the other went into pale gold locks. David tugged him gently down for a kiss which Lindsay responded to wholeheartedly, hands going to David's hips. Barely seconds later they parted and David hugged Lindsay for the span of a deep breath before walking away towards his room, fetching his shirt from the floor on the way.

When the door clicked Kei returned his attention to Lindsay who was back to seeming uncaring, with a tint of cautiousness now.

"The couch is over there," he said and motioned towards where it was, opposite the room from his own bed. "The bathroom is the door on the right in the hall. The kitchen door is there, in the alcove between my bed and David's room. The kitchen, the bathroom, and the couch are the only places you're allowed."

Sho sneered and shoved the pillow and blanket into Lindsay's chest, causing him to stumble back slightly, before turning and stalking off into his own room at the end of the hall. Kei waited until his door closed before moving to his own bed on the other side of the partition. Lindsay went to the couch and stripped himself of shirt and shoes and socks before making himself comfortable on the couch.

The lights went out and the message was clear for both parties.

_Don't try anything._

* * *

It wasn't exactly unexpected but Kei had hoped that it might have been avoidable. He couldn't even give an irked huff when David's door slipped open and clicked nearly silently shut a second later. He wanted to call David out, caught sneaking out of his room and creeping into the living room, but he'd regretfully already passed the threshold into more asleep than awake and it would take more than a couple minutes for his body to act according to his brain's will.

"What are you doing?" Lindsay whispered and Kei heard some shifting on the couch.

"Sneaking******," David responded equally as quiet. "So make room."

There was more shifting on the couch and Kei heard the furniture creak quietly under more weight. The whoosh of a blanket sounded and David sighed.

"Comfortable?" Lindsay questioned, amused.

"Nope. You're way more uncomfortable than the bed I just left," David muttered sarcastically and then squeaked. "Hey now, no pinching."

"Mmm, can I do this instead?" Lindsay murmured and Kei was finally able to force his eyes open just in time to see Lindsay slowly kissing David with one hand in his pink and black hair in the early-morning blue-black light glowing in the room. David was laying on top of the older teen under the blanket, propped up by his elbows above Lindsay's shoulders, his eyes closed as they kissed. After a minute David pulled back, breathing just a bit heavier than normal. Lindsay used his grip in David's hair to tilt his head back and attach his lips to David's neck instead. David sucked in a sharp breath, letting it out in a sigh after a moment.

"Careful," he breathed and Lindsay pulled away, loosening his hold and staring at David's face. He smiled roguishly at him. David rolled his eyes.

"When'd you become celibate?" Lindsay inquired teasingly and David tugged on a lock of his pale-gold hair.

"When I decided to live in an apartment with two parental men and then had a small party in said apartment with my two friends and boyfriend, thus getting my boyfriend on their bad side which ended up with him sleeping on the couch with the more-parental vampire-man barely asleep on the other side of the not-wall in the not-room nearby while I decided it might be fun to sneak out to the couch and sleep with my boyfriend, regardless of the parental vampire sleeping not ten feet away," David whispered quickly with a mock glare directed at the blonde underneath him.

"I forgot how snarky you could be," Lindsay muttered and David tugged on his hair again.

"You enjoy my snark. It makes things interesting."

"Oh, it does." Lindsay grinned and his hand moved under the blanket. David yelped and smacked Lindsay's shoulder before making a shush motion.

"Stop that or I'll knee you where it hurts," David growled and Lindsay chuckled.

"Okay, okay I get it-"

"You just don't want your junk injured."

"Go to sleep."

"I was planning on it until you started molesting me."

Lindsay scoffed and secretly Kei was cheering for David in his head. The small teen definitely had some hilarious control over his boy toy.

"_You_ go to sleep then," David ordered and plopped down on Lindsay's chest, wiggling a bit to make himself comfortable. Lindsay _oof_-ed as David's weight expelled air from his lungs . He smiled though and wrapped his arm around the smaller teen's ribs, holding him close and closing his eyes.

Kei contemplated opening his mouth to send David back to his room and break up the happy couple's snuggle-moment but instead decided that nothing horrible would happen while he was sleeping about ten feet away and he just smirked, knowing Sho would inevitably wake before him and reveled in the thought of the man's reaction to what he'd find on the couch. Kei would let them have a moment but only because he knew Sho would be the one to shatter it in a few hours.

* * *

* lol Navi

** lol Smeagol/Gollum

* * *

**Jaded's after-words: **I have basically nothing to say... so uh, happy rainbow fucks to you all. :)**  
**


	11. David and Lindsay Seriously, WTF?

**HAPPY NEW YEARS BISNACHES!** or well for all you celebrating it right now. I'm not sure when the rest of the world celebrates a new year.

**Chapter Title: **David and Lindsay… Seriously, WTF?

**Rating:** _PG-15_/R (_chapter_/story)

**Chapter:** 11/?

**Warnings: **Lindsay and David making out… a lot, a mention of child prostitution, look into Kei's head concerning David

**Disclaimer:** Gackt owns Moon Child. (So I guess that means he owns Kei too.) Oh damn and I though I might get him in my stocking this year.

**Pairings: **Lindsay/David

**Jaded's fore-words:** Sorry for the sudden shift from Kei and Sho to David but I was feeling the time is right to start revealing some things about him. Kei and Sho have most definitely not been forgotten though. Trust me… when I finally get to *ahem* one of my favorite parts of this story (I say one because another of my favorite parts is being typed right now and happens a little bit at the end of this chapter), you guys will love me to death for it. So just be patient for now okie dokie hokie smokie … artichokie? Can you even hokie smokie an artichoke? What would that look like? Would it involve putting the artichoke in and putting the artichoke out of the smoke? …Whoa I got waa~aay off track with that. (IT'S 3 IN THE MORNING WHERE I AM!)

Oh yeah, a **word of warning** for this chapter (and a couple others coming up… or maybe just the next one. I'm still not sure.). Heavy shit. Heavy pettin' between David and Lindsay. And uh - beaver dam this is hard to say without giving it away…. Heavy uh… well for this chapter see the second warning up there ^ and for the next chapter… Heavy… conversations… about… uh- child abuse and molestation… and stuff.

* * *

Kei had been correct in his assumption about what their morning would bring. Sho had been pissed when he came out of his bedroom and saw David sleeping on the couch pressed right up against Lindsay who was between him and the back of the couch. There was much shouting, mostly on Sho's part. The two teens' shirtless state was brought into the argument, even though it was a normal sleeping habit for both of them and nothing was thought of it when they had made themselves comfortable on the couch earlier in the morning. David fought back with logic and accusations towards Sho, one of his points being that Sho wasn't the most celibate man on the planet and therefore had no room to talk because David was damn sure he had done worse when Kei wasn't looking. Kei had to give the kid credit because he knew all about Sho's trysts as a teen and had been more than often privy to the accidental walk-in to find the man with his hand up a girl's shirt or down her pants on the exact couch David and Lindsay had just been _sleeping_ on. Sleeping was so innocent really, in comparison.

Sho responded in a very typically parental way, with the "my house, my rules" retort and the "i'm older, i know what's best" argument easily hidden in a way that wasn't blatantly obvious that it was what he was saying. Kei almost wanted to laugh at how Sho was reacting. He nearly sounded like an angry-worried father dealing with his daughter's first boyfriend. The brewing fight was eventually stopped by Kei when Lindsay had stepped into it on David's side and Sho had become very close to flipping his lid and taking it out on David's blonde boyfriend.

Kei stepped in, Sho stomped to his room and came back moments later, dressed with an unlit cigarette between his lips. He slammed the front door behind him as he left and the car was heard peeling off down the street. Silent moments passed as David stood quivering alone in the middle of the room with Lindsay standing anxiously an arm's length away and Kei cautiously watching from where he was leaning against the wall part of the partition his bed was on the other side of.

David's eyes were closed and his head was angled down as he took deep, shaky breaths and gripped his loose pajama pants in sweaty fists. His whole body quaked from his anger and his fear. He absolutely abhorred arguments and fights, and he knew they were bound to happen but he would still rather just avoid them at all costs.

Kei watched as Lindsay reached out, his fingertips pressing lightly against David's elbow, as he whispered the shorter teen's name. David flinched, unexpected was the contact and sudden break in the silence. His eyes opened in surprise and he turned toward Lindsay before taking the one step needed to wrap his arms around his blonde boyfriend and press his forehead against his warm chest. Lindsay returned the embrace, pressing his face into David's hair. He didn't need to say anything. He'd known David long enough to know when he just needed the reassurance and comfort physical contact gave to him.

He wasn't surprised either, when he was sent away - David _suggesting_ he go hang out with Gabe and Max - barely five minutes later. Kei was though. He may not like some things about Lindsay or his relationship with David (including their age difference and his general attitude and how possessively he reacted in matters concerning David) but he could recognize that he helped David a lot. And he could respect at least that much.

So he didn't get why David wanted him gone.

And here they were, just him and David, sitting at the table in the kitchen with mugs of warm tea - Kei's filled with a traditional strong green tea and David's with rooibos red tea - almost an hour later. David was huddled over the porcelain mug clasped in both of his hands, staring into the uniform color of its contents. Kei was holding his mug with one hand, studying David. He sipped his hot tea, only drinking it for something to do and because he actually enjoyed the taste of traditional green tea - one of the few foodstuffs items he found enjoyable since conversion to vampirism. David sighed between pursed lips, causing ripples in his tea.

"What is it that you keep hiding?" Kei asked quietly. David jerked from his trance, lifting his head to look Kei in the eye, his gaze still partially glazed over. It took a minute for the question to register but when it did he averted his eyes and swallowed nervously, opting to sip at his tea instead of answer.

"David," Kei said warningly, letting the teen know he was expecting an answer.

"I know, okay. I get it," David snapped and sighed. He glanced at Kei and continued with a more mellow tone. "I was just… thinking."

"About what, exactly?" Kei inquired and David used one hot palm to rest his forehead in, elbow propped on the table.

"What to tell you," David answered simply.

"The truth would be nice."

David scoffed to himself.

"Yeah, the truth… Ain't it a bitch," he said and sipped his tea. "What I meant when I said that was more _how_ I should tell you what I don't want to say. I could tell you part of the truth, and even that would be hard, but it would also just leave you with more unanswered questions. I could just avoid it, but you'd get angry. I could tell you, but… gods, I just don't want to deal with it right now. … The argument last night, the fight barely an hour ago and then this… interrogation. Just… fucking hell, fuck it all."

David sighed and busied himself with drinking his tea. Kei sipped his, still watching carefully. His brows furrowed in concern as he waited for David to say something else.

"Is what you're hiding that horrible? You can't tell me anything?" Kei questioned softly when David didn't speak.

"You have no idea."

"Was it illegal?"

"Most definitely. …I think. Or it was just immoral. I've never actually read any law. I just follow the signs on the streets. And my own sense of skewed morals and judgment. I mean, I _am_ dating an adult and I'm a minor, I think. Isn't that statutory rape even though it's not actually rape?"

"You're getting off subject."

"…Sorry. My mind works too quickly for me to comprehend sometimes and it just kinda spews out of my mouth. I have a horrible verbal filter too. And sometimes my mouth just moves and says things without being connected to my brain at all. It's pretty horrible actually."

"I think you're just trying to change the subject now."

"I am, somewhat."

Kei sighed, running his fingers through his hair and setting down his mug.

"Do you always have to be difficult?" He asked tiredly.

"Yeah… Sorry, it's a defense mechanism. I'm always difficult, even when I don't want to be. Lindsay says I'm a giant test because of it," David rambled off and then chuckled and dropped his head onto the table with a bang. "I exhaust myself too."

Kei smiled and snorted a little, amused. David sighed and shivered briefly.

"You're off the hook for now, I guess," Kei stated and David raised his head. "We'll talk about this later."

"Okay… Uhm," David muttered hesitantly and stood up, his chair skidding on the tile. "I'm going to uh, go- yeah…"

And with that he grabbed his tea and left the kitchen. His bedroom door shut barely a moment later.

Kei groaned and brushed his hair back, wondering - worrying - about the teen a wall away.

Ironically enough, it was that moment that Sho decided to reappear, stepping quietly into the living room with a blank expression of confusion that accurately conveyed the state of his mind. Blank and feeling confused. Hands in his pockets he strode right across the living room and into the kitchen, startled to find Kei there.

"Can we talk?" Sho questioned almost timidly and Kei took one look at him before flat out refusing on a gust of air.

"Why?"

"Because I've had a very long morning and I'd like it if you didn't bug me right now."

"Kei-!"

"What's the weather like?"

"…Cloudy…"

Kei sat for a moment longer. Then he swiftly rose to his feet, abandoning his mug, and flew from the kitchen. Sho watched the flurry of his red jacket as Kei swung it on while jerking the door open and stepping out into the day. The door was swept shut behind him and with it's final click he nearly screamed and kicked the wall.

* * *

The next couple of days passed tensely without incident. Kei was avoiding Sho, Sho was seething to himself because of Kei, and David spent most of his time out of the apartment with his friends… and Lindsay.

Sho very much disliked Lindsay. Kei noticed, David noticed, Lindsay obviously noticed. Kei knew Sho was barely tolerating the pale-blonde's presence. And after the first night, Sho was much more watchful of the teens' activities. He personally closed David's door when the short, multicolor-haired teen went to sleep to ensure that David really was asleep. He watched Lindsay like a hawk watches prey. He barely let the two touch at all in any form. And he made sure Lindsay knew he was not - _absolutely not_ allowed in David's room.

Kei remembered on the morning of the third day since Lindsay was introduced to them he was coming out of the bathroom after showering right before Sho walked into the living room from outside to find David and Lindsay heatedly making out on the couch. Lindsay had been hovering over David with one hand up his shirt and one leg between David's. And David's hand's had been all over Lindsay, one hand running through his hair and gripping his shoulder and neck while the other grabbed at belt-loops and Lindsay's shirt, close to sneaking into the blonde's back pocket too.

They were interrupted by Sho, who walked in, paused, glared, and cleared his throat obnoxiously loud. The couple on the couch startled and turned to him but all he did was give Lindsay a pointed, dark look. With groans of annoyance from both of them, David and Lindsay had separated and gone back to the video game they'd abandoned in favor of one another, their legs brushing occasionally as they sat on the couch.

Kei could see their frustration clearly. Lindsay's was a calm sort-of irked frustration, the kind that had Kei thinking of a fly casually buzzing around a room. The one where you're too comfortable to move to do something about it and really it's fine because the worst it does is make the irksome noise and that can be ignored. David's frustration was a boiling kind, full of stony looks at inanimate objects, complete shut-downs, and a lot of violent, angry mental plotting. David's frustration was easily ignored by the owner of said emotion but Kei could see each little thing Sho did to crowbar the two apart was raising the temperature of his rage thermometer.

And Kei knew that if David didn't get what he wanted, he'd do something inadvisable. Or he would ignore it all and slowly withdraw from Sho, and maybe Kei. Even though Kei didn't do much for either side of the passive aggressive battle. He had to agree with Sho's dislike of Lindsay, as he himself didn't like the other blonde, but he saw how David reacted to him and could respect their relationship. David had put a large amount of trust in Lindsay, Kei could see that, and while he knew David to be just generally very trusting he could also tell this was different. The more he watched their interactions the more he realized that even though Lindsay was possessive of David, and extremely protective, it was only because David allowed it.

When he first realized this he recalled the first night when they'd met Lindsay. He remembered how Lindsay had been at David's back, not in front and shielding but behind and supporting. He remembered how once David had reassured him that he was fine with the situation Lindsay had withdrawn and stood there, ready but not actively getting involved.

Kei could respect that. He could tolerate it. But that didn't mean he wasn't with Sho when he barred Lindsay from David's room. And he most definitely approved of Sho breaking the two apart when they'd been kissing intensely on the couch. He didn't want to see Lindsay's paws all over David as much as Sho didn't.

But Kei also knew it would happen eventually and had happened before, when David was still out on the streets with his friends. In fact, the two had probably had sex. Many times. Kei wasn't too enthused by that thought. He was somewhat conflicted, wanting to take Sho's side and never let it happen - again - but he was also logical and had raised Sho previously and knew that it would inevitably occur and they couldn't really do anything to stop it. That's why he hadn't taken a side yet.

And so four tense days had passed without any dramatic or apocalyptic occurrences taking place until David had gone to sleep early (as he was prone to sleeping whenever he felt like it) after a hushed conversation with Lindsay. It was about three in the morning when it happened - an hour and forty-five minutes after Kei had fallen asleep, three hours after Sho had gone to bed, who had done so a half hour after Lindsay had fallen asleep, and six hours since David had slipped into dreamland - and Kei was the first to wake.

The first thing he'd recognized was the typical sound of someone thrashing about and immediately pinpointed it as coming from David's room. In the next couple seconds he was at the door, swinging it open as quick as possible. Then he'd heard the shouting as his gaze landed on David. He was kicking, his legs twisted in his comforter, and his arms jerked about. A deep frown was displayed on David's sweaty face as he mumbled and shouted.

Kei immediately ran to the bed and sat down, reaching for David's arms to hold them so he could calm the teen and try to wake him. It was then that Kei was able understand what was spewing from David's mouth.

"…no… please… don't …just leave me alone! …please… I hate you! Stop!" David muttered and whimpered and yelled and suddenly Sho was there trying to help Kei.

"What's going on?" Sho asked, even though the answer was obvious, as he caught hold of one of David arms and held it out of the way while his other hand gripped the teen's trembling shoulder. He shook it gently and called David's name in an attempt to pull him from his nightmare. David's breath caught, and for a second they thought he would wake.

He didn't. He only began breathing heavily as though he were panicking, the volume of his voice getting louder.

Without warning Sho was pushed away and Kei was shoved to the side, Lindsay appearing like a superhero with concern written all over his countenance.

Sho was too stunned to react to Lindsay breaking his one stated rule of the blonde never entering David's room. He watched dumbfounded as Lindsay slid easily onto the bed and started stroking David's skin everywhere. His fingertips ran lightly up and down David's heaving sides and around his shoulders, one of his palms running up and down David's chest with concentration. He softly carded his fingers through black and pink and white and purple and blue hair. The whole time he leaned down and whispered gentle words aimed at David.

Sho glanced at Kei and found him just as shocked as he was about the odd display.

But neither protested as whatever it was Lindsay was doing seemed to be working. David's cries died down to quiet whimpers, his breathing slowed and evened out, his thrashing stopped entirely, and he relaxed like a person sleeping should.

"The absolute worst thing you can do when he's having a nightmare is restrain him," Lindsay raised his voice so Sho and Kei could hear, his statement directed at them and dripping a little venom. Since David had mostly calmed he was now rubbing circles with his thumbs up and down David's arms, from shoulder to wrist and back.

David's eyelids fluttered and he gasped as his head jerked and suddenly his eyes were open. His confused, frightened gaze immediately landed on Lindsay and he breathed a sigh of relief.

"I hate nightmares," he whispered, his voice thick and rough. Lindsay's lips quirked into an attempted smile and then David noticed the two other occupants in his room.

He stared at them a long, awkward moment then huffed and pushed himself up into a sitting position, running his fingers through his hair out of habit. Kei shared a wondering glance with Sho.

"So…" David murmured and looked up at the two.

"Go back to sleep," Kei ordered, appearing a bit cautious, and nudged Sho towards the door. "Tomorrow for sure, David," he said over his shoulder, throwing the teen a pointed look before he closed the door.

"Why'd we leave _him_ in there?" Sho asked with a glare at the door. Kei huffed.

"Because he's David's boyfriend and we can't keep them from doing whatever they want to do. Not to mention he seems to make David feel better, especially in situations like this," Kei explained, giving Sho an exasperated glance. Sho scowled. "I don't like him either but I'm at least giving him a chance. You might try it, Sho."

And Kei turned, striding away to his not-room to go back to bed. Sho clenched his teeth in anger and turned to his own room, slamming his door behind him.

* * *

David barely slept for the rest of the night, which was fine by him since he'd gotten roughly six hours of sleep. So it was all good. Most of the morning was actually spent talking quietly with Lindsay about what Kei mentioned. David knew he was going to have to tell them sooner rather than later. He just would prefer if it was later, much later. Lindsay told him he'd have to do it anyway so he might as well just get it over with. David punched his leg and accused him of using his own logic against him. Lindsay didn't deny it.

David sighed and said if he had to do it he'd prefer to do it alone. Lindsay protested, wanting to be there in case he had a panic attack or something equally as horrible. David flat out refused Lindsay's supportive presence, arguing that he'd feel like he had an audience and he was telling some big, important story around a campfire or something equally as cheesy. Lindsay pointed out the fact that he _was_ telling a big, important story. David punched him again, making sure he would bruise. Lindsay just pinned him down and kissed him.

Afterward they laid silently together, just relaxing. Lindsay had inevitably fallen asleep and David was fine with that. He just snuggled up to his lover and closed his eyes, doing what he often did when he was anxious as he began playing out the many different ways he would or could tell Kei and Sho what he had to tell them. He replayed things over and over like a story book recording with pictures. It was making him feel better about telling them, having a starting point. Starting was always the hardest part and playing everything in his head was helping him prepare.

Soon his mind melted away into a foggy trance, caught somewhere between waking and dreaming, where all his thoughts were subconscious and floating, gone before he could remember them. He loved falling into this state. It was relaxing and meditative. It was a time where his brain could just sort through everything stored up in the small places of his head, discarding unimportant items and keeping treasures hidden away where they were meant to be. Everything was like a waking dream in this place.

It was all dispelled after what felt like no time at all by movement in the kitchen pulling him from the fog and forcing his weary eyes open. Lindsay shifted behind him, pressing up against his back, an arm falling around his waist. David sighed contentedly, enjoying the peace of his seclusion, hearing the lazy goings ons outside his room and feeling warm and safe and comfortable in his bed.

Peace was slowly going to fade away though as David felt Lindsay waking, the smell of his pheromones shifting slightly, reaching David's nose and changing his scent slightly. Lindsay's arm around him tightened as the blonde attempted to curl up behind him, pressing his face into David's neck. Puffs of cooled air breezed over the nape of his neck and then Lindsay relaxed somewhat. A groan later he was yawning and shifting again, this time up onto his elbow. David turned his head a little to face him.

Lindsay blinked owlishly at him a couple times, his green eyes bleary and unfocused. Then he groaned again, annoyed at being awake, and dropped back onto the bed, hiding against David again. David snorted. He hated waking up more than the average person and he found it extremely amusing that he was awake while Lindsay was the one who wanted to go back to sleep. Usually Lindsay had to _haul _him into the realm of the waking and out of bed.

David smirked evilly to himself.

"C'mon sleepyhead," he whispered in a honeyed tone, pulling away from Lindsay and shifting into a kneeling position, facing his blonde boyfriend.

"That's enough, wake up! That's enough, wake up! That's enough, wake up!" He began chanting as he jumped up and down on the bed. He reached out and put his hands on Lindsay's sides and shook him violently too, just for good measure.

Lindsay's arm shot out and he yanked the little annoyance down onto the bed. David landed with an _oof_ facedown in the mattress. Lindsay grinned evilly and annoyingly draped himself over David's back. David wiggled around experimentally, wondering if he'd be able to move at all. He couldn't.

"Get up you big oaf," he ordered, his voice muffled in the mattress.

"I'm _comfortable_," Lindsay protested, drawing out 'comfortable.' Then he thought of something horribly horrendous and reached down to David's thigh with his hand. David jerked and tried to squirm away.

"Don't you dare do it, you bastard!" He threatened.

But Lindsay did dare. His hand slipped around to the front of David's thigh and he squeezed tightly. The reaction was sudden in David and Lindsay grinned like the Cheshire cat if he stole the Hatter's hat.

David yelped and kicked his legs furiously. Mad giggles bubbled up from his throat and spewed forth uncontrollably and Lindsay repeatedly squeezed up and down David's thigh to keep them going. David wiggled around and tried with everything he had to throw Lindsay off.

"You bastard!" He squealed at Lindsay, his breathing harsh and full of giggles. "Stop! Stop! Ah! I can't- BREATHE!"

Lindsay stopped and David sucked in air like a drowned man and after five breaths Lindsay squeezed teasingly again. David kicked back, his heel colliding with Lindsay's ribs. Lindsay huffed and sat up, letting David do the same. David glared at him and pounced, punching him repeated on the arm in the exact same spot. Lindsay just laughed at it all.

"I hope that's sore for days," David muttered and stood up from the bed, going to his dresser to get dressed.

"I'm sure it will be," Lindsay assured him with a grin.

"You know," David said turning around with a t-shirt in his hands. He was frowning comically. "I just realized you don't have any clothes. You're been stealing all my shirts."

"Yeah and?"

David balled up the shirt in his hand and chucked it at Lindsay. It flew by his head and caught on his shoulder, hanging goofily there.

"Nice," Lindsay commented with a bob of his head. David glared.

"I was aiming for your face."

"You missed."

"Just put it on, jackass," David stated, turning back to the open drawer to get another t-shirt from it. It was black and covered in glitter. Silver words on the front said "I'm So Vamp, I Sparkle." David pulled it on while using his foot to sweep open the bottom drawer and, using his toes, he grabbed a black pair of comfortably loose jeans. They were handed off to his hands and then pulled on. A brush was swept up next and drawn through his hair a couple times before being dropped back on top of the dresser.

He turned around to find a bare torso inches away. He looked it over for his own viewing pleasure before stepping back and leaning against the dresser.

"Didn't I tell you to put the shirt _on_?" David drawled, leaning his elbows back on top of the dresser. "You weren't supposed to tuck it into your pocket."

"You don't seem to mind," Lindsay muttered, moving closer.

"I never said I did," David grumbled and glared at the blonde briefly. He looked toward the door then and made to step in that direction but an arm shot up, barring his way. Fingers tangled in the hair at the base of his neck and a warm palm was pressed to the side of his neck.

"David," Lindsay whispered in a way that had David's head snapping around to look at him, a defiant gleam in his eyes.

Lindsay's grip tightened in his hair and lips descended onto David's. David surged up to meet him, opening his mouth to be willingly taken advantage of. His palms slid up Lindsay's chest, one arm going around the blonde's neck while his free hand grabbed his upper arm. Lindsay's free hand slipped up the back of David's shirt and used that to pull their bodies flush. David gasped softly and Lindsay's breath ghosted over his wet, bottom lip before he pressed their lips together again, sucking on it.

Then his lips were moving, sliding over David's jaw and latching onto the sweet skin fluttering over his pulse.

"They'll be checking on us soon," David reminded him and Lindsay sucked hard causing David's knees to buckle as he moaned quietly. "Seriously. They don't like you and-"

Lindsay's fangs pressed teasingly into David's neck.

"And this is not the time to be doing this," David growled and dug his fingernails into Lindsay's arm. Lindsay released his neck with a sigh and instead moved to David's ear. Without warning, he scraped his teeth over the edge of the shorter male's vulnerable ear and purposely sent a hot breath right into the center, knowing exactly how to create certain reactions.

David inhaled sharply and shivered, melting against Lindsay as that one breath sent heat racing through his veins.

"Fuck," he breathed and Lindsay smirked, pressing his lips to David's cheek. David smacked the back of his head and he chuckled. "Your a dick, I hope you know that."

Lindsay pulled back, mouth open for some apparently witty comeback or something, but David interrupted him before he could make a noise.

"Just shut up and put your shirt on," he ordered. "Then you're going to leave this room with me, not pick a fight with Sho about the hickey on my neck, eat, and leave. While your gone I expect you to buy clothes for yourself."

"I thought you didn't mind sharing your clothes," Lindsay mocked him and David scowled.

"I normally don't. But you always seem to steal all my favorites and then rip, stain, or lose them."

Then David gave him a playful shove back and took a deep breath while Lindsay slipped the shirt over his head. He grabbed his wallet from the dresser and tossed it to the blonde who caught it and raise an eyebrow at it.

"I'm assuming you're low on cash at the moment," David explained and Lindsay shrugged in a way that told David he had no idea.

"Hey," he said and David looked him in the eye. "You'll be fine. Okay?"

"Yeah, I know."

"Good."

Then Lindsay kissed him again, pocketed his wallet, and flung open the door without a care at all. David followed him out, swiping up a pack of cigarettes and closing his door behind him. Together they entered the kitchen, where Kei was smoking calmly, glancing at them as they entered, and Sho was drinking a coffee with an unlit cigarette nearby. He glanced up and David could feel his eyes lock onto the brilliantly red mark on his neck. His eyes narrowed but he said not a word, just lifting his coffee and taking a drink from it. The sun coming in the window above the sink was an afternoon gold and Lindsay stared out if for a second before leaning down to whisper in David's ear.

"I think I'll just go right now. I think that if I were to stay, even just to eat, Sho and I might actually get physical," he said, somewhat amused at how the older man was reacting to the love-bite on David's neck.

David's quiet hum was the only acknowledgement Lindsay got. Then as he turned to leave, David caught his arm and used it to pull him down for a quick touch of their lips. Lindsay nodded once and left the kitchen, heading for the front door. David went to the fridge and grabbed a yogurt shake and sat down across and in-between Kei and Sho staring down his yogurt. They both watched him closely. Kei's gaze on his face, waiting as he smoked. Sho's gaze darting from his neck to his face and back. David rubbed a hand over the hickey, wishing Sho would stop staring at it. It made his neck tingle creepily.

"So…" David said and sat up, shook his yogurt, opened it, took a drink, and set it on the table with a slouch in his spine.

"What are you not telling us?" Sho questioned quietly, fixing his gaze on David's face. He wondered to himself for a second about why David's unknown secrets bothered him so much and provided himself with the answer a second later. When David didn't fill them in, he felt lied to.

Kei crushed out his cigarette in the ashtray that had been set in the middle of the table. And like that, a sort of smothering tenseness filled the room and each heavy breath felt like breathing in something sticky.

"My past," David said, answering Sho's question accompanied by a second where their eyes met. He took another drink and reached into his pocket, grabbing the cigarettes he'd grabbed before leaving his room. He set them on the table and stared at them for a minute.

"Everyone's got something they're not to proud of in their past," Kei said gently in a way that David knew he wasn't trying to mock him.

"People like that had a choice. That's why they're not proud of it," David murmured and finally removed a cigarette from the pack in front of him. He placed it between his lips and grabbed Kei's zippo, using it to light his cigarette. He placed it back on the table exactly how and where it'd been, Kei noticed absently.

"You didn't have a choice?" Sho was the one asking again and David scoffed to himself.

"I was kidnapped when I was about three - vampirically. So no, I didn't have a choice. I used to dream of my parents coming and saving me but then I met Gabe and she told me they committed suicide shortly after I was gone," David explained, examining his cigarette after a long drag at the end of his sentence. Kei frowned at what David said about his parents and stored it in the back of his mind since it made an odd feeling swirl around in his stomach.

"Save you from what?" He asked. David looked up at him and his gaze seemed to have said that he was waiting for that exact moment when something like that would be asked. His eyes locked onto Kei's and he swallowed.

"From being locked in a brothel full of vampire-child sex-slaves run by the gang world," David stated, his expression twisted and appearing as though he'd just been forced to swallow something horribly slimy and disgusting.

* * *

**Jaded's after-words:** so ugh… I wonder every day I write why I like to put my (favorite) characters through horrible shit. My gay friend Tommy says it's because it helps give them character and better character development. *shrugs* It makes sense.

Anywho, moving on to me complaining about getting about fifteen new hits on each chapter but only reviews from my two faithful reader/reviewers, _**Soubi**_ and _**Satchi**_, you know who you are hunny-bunnies! (wtf is with my horrible rhymes in this?) Sometimes I wonder if the reason for the hit number going up is because _**Satchi**_ or _**Soubi**_ - or both, could be both - keep rereading them or something… But then I realize that the chapters to this generally suck a bit hardcore and why would they want to reread this crap 7/8 times. Besides… if I believed that I'd feel pompous. I dislike feeling pompous. I enjoy feeling devious though, and that happens when people review. So DO EEEET GUYSES. - not directed at my faithful (and awesomesauce) reviewers _**Satchi**_ and _**Soubi**_. Did you two notice how I epically _italicized_ AND **bolded** your names? (They were underlined too but is being retarded right now.) That was me expressing gratitude. :) Feel the gratefulness seeping through your pores and making you glow like a fifty foot Christmas tree in the middle of completely jealous forest of short, stumpy trees without a lot of branches. Not implying anything with that. I just make up strange analogies. This one just happens to involve trees.

I am so off topic.

R&R PEOPLE. (and no i did not mean rest and relax after reading that looo~ooonng chapter.)

toodles y'all (wtf, am I southern now?)


	12. Confessions: David's Story Arc

**Chapter Title: **Confession: David's Arc

**Rating:** _PG-15_/R (_chapter_/story)

**Chapter:** 12.1/?

**Warnings:** mentions of child prostitution, mentions of child abuse, mentions of forced slavery, heavy conversation, language maybe?,

**Disclaimer:** Gackt owns Moon Child. (Doesn't that mean he owns Kei too?)

**Pairings: **Lindsay/David mentioning

**Jaded's fore-words:** This chapter was a bitch to write. It took up all my time for the last five days of my break and then it was calling me at two in the morning and texting me in class and just generally being really annoying and whiny and bitchy. I practically fucking doubled my word count on it in less than 24 hours one night though. It jumped from 6,865 words to 12,318. This thing just fucking wrote itself. Eventually it was 14 thousand-and-some words. So I had to split it into separate chapters cuz damn it was long (37 pages in Word).

Yeah so be sure to check the **warning** up ^ there because things get pretty heavy from here. I really honestly think it's funny how much I like to fuck up my characters' pasts and shit. I have a masochistic addiction to drama as long as it's not my own. …Angst is fun. Don't deny it. So anyway… enjoy learning about David.

* * *

Previously *dramatic pause* in Marijuana Mishaps:

_**"Save you from what?" He asked. David looked up at him and his gaze seemed to have said that he was waiting for that exact moment when something like that would be asked. His eyes locked onto Kei's and he swallowed.**_

_**"From being locked in a brothel full of vampire-child sex-slaves run by the gang world," David stated, his expression twisted and appearing as though he'd just been forced to swallow something horribly slimy and disgusting.**_

* * *

Both men's eyes widened impossibly and Sho's jaw dropped so low it almost thudded on the table. Somewhere in the barely registered back of his mind he was increasingly glad he wasn't drinking coffee when David answered, otherwise it would have been sprayed over the table… and it's occupants. Kei could only stare dumbly at David, an expression of shocked horror freezing on his face. Well, Sho looked horrified too, but he was more shocked and …disgusted.

"Wha-Wh-What?" Sho sputtered, almost choking on the word. Kei agreed with him.

"Do you say that because I need to repeat myself or is it because your just dumbfounded and confused?" David questioned monotonously, giving them both a flat look.

They both remained silent, apparently having trouble processing what David had just told them. Sho's jaw kept moving up and down as though he were trying to something, anything. Kei's previous expression had gone from shocked and horrified to building-anger and disgust as the information sunk in.

David inhaled from his cigarette again, noting that it had burned almost halfway when he wasn't looking.

"Oh god," Kei was finally able to whisper. He cleared his throat, pressing his palm to his forehead as his elbow made contact with the tabletop, and then he raised his voice a little louder. "I- I don't even know... how to- What to say to that."

"What the hell?" Sho practically exclaimed, an outraged expression taking over his face. "How the fuck do we not know about this shit? We take down gangs all the time! Branches of the bigger ones! How the fuck did we not fucking hear about that shit?"

"Because it was a secret kept very hush hush and the people who blabbed about it in the open were dealt with, often missing something from their person or found dead afterward," David explained. "Besides, it was taken down almost three years ago. No one's had the balls to start it up again after what happened."

"Three years ago? What happened?" Sho asked slowly, as if he didn't know if he wanted an answer.

David sighed out a breath of smoke and snubbed his cigarette, having finished it off before the rest of it could burn away.

"_That_ is quite the memory," David said and looked at Sho, clasping his hands around his yogurt drink.

"Then it can wait," Kei said before David could even formulate a start to the story in his head. The teen switched his attention to Kei, feeling Sho do the same. "You said you were kidnapped when you were three. They weren't …whoring kids out that young were they?"

"No," David stated and shook his head, fixating his gaze on a discolored section of the wall behind Kei. "No, we were all taken from homes- families, like me from my parents, or picked up off the streets in some cases, at young ages. Later I figured out it was because young kids are impressionable and easy to train and if you get them when they're about three they're potty-trained and the parents already did all the hard work as they were infants.

"But I mean, not all kids were taken when they were young. To our… Sirs, as we started calling the men who basically owned us, we were all valuable, since we were all children of vampiric descent. We healed quicker. We had to be taken care of less. We aged slower. And with a couple restrictive bolts and rules, we were easy to manipulate. Like, we weren't allowed outside without a Sir, and we only went outside to be taken to private residences. So there was no way for us to feed on people outside the brothel. As a rule, we were only to get blood from customers. Or another vampire child, but if, and only if, we got sick since it was discovered early on that it lessened the pain and made you fit for work again, with no trouble caused to the Sirs.

"That way we were forced to work hard or starve. And since we only fed on customers we were also given actual food by how many customers we had. One meant bread for your next three meals. Two was bread and a fruit or vegetable of some sort. The over achievers tried for four or five customers a day so they could get full meals. Sometimes, some of them, the nicer ones, would hide a part of their meals and share them with their roommates. Some of them were caught and received lashes from a cat-o'-nine-tails or a beating from a bamboo rod. That was basically the punishment for everything..."

"That's- That's-" Sho tried to say but kept fumbling for a word.

"Disgusting? Horrible? Sick? Wrong? Immoral?" David supplied with a grimace. He could feel his stomach churn and he kept wondering when the trembling would start.

Kei looked sick.

"When _did_ kids start 'working' then?" _'When did you start having to…?'_

"Around five or six. I started when I was five." David's voice was casual, trying to keep the conversation even, but he was visibly impossibly tense. He had to stay tense or his barely noticeable trembles (that had begun with that declaration) would turn into horribly visible shudders.

"So that's when you…?" Sho asked, appearing close to retching, his skin seeming a pale green.

"Yeah," David said, nodding his head. "Before that it was training. Training to behave without question. During training we lived in one house - the one with the older, teenage, kids. Half of our training was waiting on them. We had to take their meals to them, escort their customers around the house, clean up after them… And a load of other bullshit. We basically did everything for them that the Sirs never wanted to do. Fetch their meals if they couldn't move...

"And once training was over, I was sent off to the next house. The house where all the younger kids were. That was where you started out working, getting customers. And there was always a customer there. A lot of fucking sickos really. It never was difficult to get a customer, a meal as everyone referred to them as behind their hands, so there wasn't a lot of waiting around or trying to show off so you could eat, like there was in the other house."

David paused, taking a drink of his warmer tasting yogurt shake. About to put it down he decided to just finish it off and downed the whole thing before standing up to toss it away, trying to keep himself detached, distracted. Sho and Kei were silent, watching him and waiting for him to continue. But when he sat back down he reached for his cigarettes and lit up another one with a deep inhale. He blew out the smoke without a word even waiting on his tongue and Sho finally broke the silence, ever-more impatient than usual.

"What else?" He inquired quietly as if he'd break something with words too loud as he watched David intently.

David took another calming, casual drag from his cigarette, staring at the ceiling across the room.

"What else…." He breathed out, blowing smoke. "Well, when I was around ten-years-old - ten vampiricially, as in that's about the age my body was, not how long I'd been on earth - I'd somehow become a favorite of sorts for customers. Almost every gang member that entered that house was looking for me. The house even got more business because of me. Well, me and another girl that had been recently snatched from the streets. The customers became so demanding that Sirs actually had to deal with them for us. Eventually they realized that they could give us up to the people who'd pay more… and get more money that way instead of selling us off to many customers paying the set price.

"So about half a year later I was transferred to the housing of the older kids to bring it better business, and was the youngest one there. Then a month later the girl was transferred and we were put into a small room together in the attic of the house. That girl was Gabe. She is a whole three months older than me so together we were the youngest members of the house, excluding the newbies that were forced to wait on us. Funny enough, there was a newbie fresh off the streets that was barely older than us that ended up actually being assigned to wait on us. She's Max. I think they did it so that she'd feel pathetic, since we were younger and 'higher ranking.'

"That didn't work so well considering Gabe and I told her to be as scatterbrained and clumsy and untrainable as possible. It wasn't difficult for her. Anyway, we made friends with her and funny enough, even though we were younger, we wanted to protect her. Gabe and I shared an equally intense animosity towards the Sirs and the customers and the whole fucked up house in general. It'd been imprinted in me from the older kids I'd had to wait on and she, well she'd had freedom before being dragged into the house.

"We tried to get out, many times, she more actively trying anything from stealing knives from the kitchen to punching the Sir escorting her to a customer's house in the face. I was more passive aggressive about it, sneaking and attempting to 'accidentally' kill my customers without them noticing and turning the children on the Sirs - like I was trying to create an army of angry toddlers." David chuckled dryly and snubbed out his now gone cigarette. "Nothing we did ever worked. We were always found out or stopped or recaptured and then we were punished. Sometimes it was starvation and god that pain was horrible. Other times it was flogging by cat-o'-nine-tails or bamboo. Sometimes it was even fists and boots. It didn't matter to them. We healed quickly. Bruised ribs today would only be sore the next day. Whip welts would be closed. But only if we got blood. And you know the rule."

"How did you get out?" Kei asked, barely able to force the question passed his clenched teeth. Sho wasn't much better off. He'd taken to attempting to burn holes into the middle of the table using his eyes, not able to take the images starring David flashing through his head.

David gave Kei a calculating stare for a minute before leaning back in his chair with a sigh.

"There were a couple of ways you could get out, but few ever did. You were let go if you were too much work - too much to handle - and there was a lot of disinterest. You could get out by disfiguring yourself some way or another, but that was tricky since it took a high tolerance of pain to do it. One girl did it while I was there. She took a shard from a broken vase and hid it in her room and after lights out she cut herself deeply across her face repeatedly in the same spot until she couldn't heal anymore. Then she passed out and starved through the rest of the night. When she was found she was near death and was immediately given blood by another girl down the hall from her. She healed from it, but the thick jagged scar remained on her face even after she'd properly eaten.

"A week later she was tossed out on the streets."

David grabbed his cigarettes and examined them, as if he were trying to decide if he should really light another. (He was actually thinking about Kei's question, knowing what the vampire really wanted to know and not feeling ready to give the real answer. He'd have to go into detail about it, he just knew it. So he stalled.)

Eventually he flipped the top and pulled one out, but instead of lighting it he slipped it behind his ear before closing the pack again and putting it into his pocket.

"Sometimes kids escaped if they had help from the outside, but that wasn't often. There was a group of vampire-children formed though, that knew about the brothel. Because they'd escaped from it or had been tossed out because of lack of interest, either because nobody wanted them or they were too old and not up to par with the Sirs' standards, or someone was told about it and recruited. They would sometimes be able to slip a kid or two away from the Sirs during escorts. But it only happened once or twice a year, with mixed results. A kid or two would or wouldn't escape.

"Once though, one of the members was caught and brought back. The Sirs were all kinds of happy about that, whooping and laughing and jeering about it. I never got a look at the guy but I heard him screaming every night for three days. After that he died. And I'm positive that if he hadn't he would have had to work in the house again. Which brings us to the only other means of escape. Death. In the beginning, apparently a large group kids were able to kill themselves and since then it was pretty improbable that you could get ahold of anything that could be used to commit suicide.

"One guy chewed through both of his wrists though and died while I was there. One of the kids that had been waiting on him found him. I remember he cried for a whole day, terrified of what he'd seen."

"If there were all these kids escaping and out and shit, how come the police weren't told or-" Sho said and David interrupted him with a wave of his hand.

"Threats. Very real threats. And anyone who told the police was killed and then the police were payed off to not look into the claim," he explained.

"How-" Kei started but was interrupted by David.

"-Did I escape?"

He plucked his cigarette from behind his ear and rolled it around between his fingers for a moment. Then the filter was between his lips and he snatched up Kei's lighter again, flicking it open and ratcheting the wheel with a violent sweep of his thumb. Flame burst into life and was immediately placed at the end of the cig. He inhaled shakily and flipped the lighter closed with a jerk of his wrist, extinguishing the flame. He tossed it onto the table with a clatter and brought his shaking hand up to remove the cigarette from his mouth with a smoky exhale.

"I didn't," he whispered, bringing the cigarette back to his lips. Then he tapped the ashes off the end and into the ashtray, blowing out smoke again. "I was rescued. We all were. Remember that group I mentioned? Well, they were lead by smart people that weren't afraid of the gangs' threats. They never got caught because they were smart. They covered their trails. They removed their scents with ammonia and bleach, knowing that dogs or the kids would be used to pick them up. They hid themselves well, and planned extensively."

David paused, taking another drag before returning to what he was saying.

"They- They were pissed off. They were disgusted. They were sad. They wanted to bring everything down. They were underestimated and they used it. And they were ruthless when they brought the flames of hell to the brothels. …And that's what happened, Sho. They burned everything."

"Even the kids inside?" Sho burst out with a horrified look on his face, about ready to fly out his seat.

"No," David whispered and finished his cigarette. "No, they got us all out… It's actually how I met Lindsay."

* * *

**Jaded's after-words: **Short chapter... but anyway. I seriously hearts David hardcore and stuff *squishes him* but really, I enjoyed writing about his fucked up past.

The chapters in this arc should be flying out quickly and I expect my beloveds (_**SATCHI**_ and _**SOUBI**_)(there, I CAPed them since ff . net won't let me underline them) to review each one. Next chapter is a flashback.

Bai for nowz. :)


	13. Memory: David's Story Arc

**Chapter Title: **Memory: David's arc

**Rating:** _PG-15_/R (_chapter_/story)

**Chapter:** 12.2/?

**Warnings: **gratuitous violence, torture, mentions of rape and abuse, ...

**Disclaimer:** Gackt owns Moon Child. (Doesn't that mean he owns Kei too?)

**Pairings:** all random characters that nobody knows so it doesn't matter

**Jaded's fore-words:** So here it is guys. More about David's past and stuff. Enjoy it. ...check the warnings. Thanks for the awesome reviews **soubi** and **satchi**. Soubi, you made me lol with it and Satchi, the long review was great and you made me lol with parts of it. Like the part about me posting everyday.

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**"No," David whispered and finished his cigarette. "No, they got us all out… It's actually how I met Lindsay."**

* * *

_"Get up you pathetic bitch!" The burly man shouted behind the then-not-yet-David, who was only twelve or thirteen by his own reckoning at the time. With a snarl he brought the cat-o'-nine-tails back down on the boy's exposed back, making him shriek as his red, stinging skin was split again._

_Ignoring the next insult the man yelled the boy tremblingly pressed against the floor with his hands to get himself up into a crouch. From there he tried to stand, shaking, only to realize too late that his ankles were caught in the chain that was attached to the cuff around his right ankle. He lost his balance and tripped, throwing his arms out to catch his fall. His left knee collided with the wood floor a second before his right cheekbone cracked against it, sending a blinding pain into not-yet-David's face. Nausea welled up in his throat and he swallowed it down several times, breathing heavily and scrunching his eyes shut._

_"I SAID GET UP, YOU PATHETIC, USELESS, FUCKING WHORE!" The man practically bellowed and a heavy, steel-toed boot collided with the boys ribs, causing him to fly into the air before hitting the floor again in a roll. He stopped on his sore back with an inward hiss of air, sweat mixing with blood and stinging. His arms wrapped around his smarting ribs as breathing felt increasingly more painful._

_A hard whop to his arms with a bamboo rod had him jerking them away just in time to feel the white-hot smack of leather against his chest and stomach. He howled, clenching his fists at his sides until his knuckles were white. His skin burned and stung so harshly he didn't even feel his own hot blood dribbling down his sides from the welts. He trembled in agony for several long moments, gasping and choking as he tried to block out the pain. The welts weren't healing and his sweat was seeping into them now making them burn and sting all the more for it._

_"Get up," the man murmured threateningly and the end of the rod was jabbed brutally into his solar plexus._

_Not-yet-David choked and gasped rolling onto his side, gripping his stomach with one arm and holding himself up on the other arm's elbow. He gasped and groaned, tasting the putrid sting of bile in the back of his throat. He grimaced, glaring at the dark, black grain in the stained mahogany wood of the floor. At that moment he wished nothing more than to snatch the whip from the man and strangle him with it while kindly explaining that if the man would quit hitting him after every demand he might actually be _**able**_ to do it. The boy hated the burly man with a blazing passion. More if there were words for it. But not-yet-David wasn't yet extremely eloquent so he couldn't yet hate him more._

_As the boy was finally able to push himself to his feet he realized tears were streaming down his face. They almost felt cool against his hot, damp skin as they traveled over his jaw and slid down his neck, mixing with salty sweat. He wouldn't wipe them away, though. He stood straight and stared unyieldingly ahead with defiance, even as his muscles twitched uncomfortably and his vision blurred slightly from his pain-induced nausea._

_"Have you learned?" The burly man growled with a scowl, appearing in front of the boy. The boy glared at him, knowing that the man wanted him to defy him so he could continue beating and breaking him._

_And to get out of it not-yet-David could just say that yes, he had learned. But that would be too easy, too weak. The boy hated feeling powerless and weak. And so in the few seconds the burly man waited for an answer and David contemplated his options he decided. He could handle the pain and the hunger. The pain and hunger were familiar. Besides, not-yet-David almost never passed up a chance to piss off one of his Sirs._

_"Go," he gasped quietly, meeting the burly man's gaze. "Fuck… Yourself."_

_His head suddenly jerked to the side so fast whiplash stabbed through the side of his neck. He stumbled and caught himself against the wall, the chain attached to his ankle being pulled tight from the middle of the floor where the other end was attached to a thick ring - that hurt like a bitch to fall on, the boy thought to himself. He swallowed, his already bruised right cheek smarting and his taste buds recognizing blood in his mouth. More of it mixed with his tears and dribbled down his cheek, a thick scratch on his cheek the cause. The boy focused on the burly man's hand and saw the very rough-looking, studded, large gold ring the man always wore on his middle finger._

-"That ring was probably stained with my blood from how many times he liked to backhand me while wearing it. Sometime I would imagine it getting hooked on something and ripping his finger clean off."-

_"Get back over here," the man demanded and gestured with the rod in his right hand. In his left the cat-o'-nine-tails dangled in his grip, the lashes brushing over the floor. Not-yet-David straightened up and shuffled angrily over, defiant till the end he tried his hardest to be._

_As soon as he was close to the man, a powerful blow to the backs of his thighs from the rod had him falling with a cry to his knees, his hands barely catching him. The thin material covering his legs did nothing to lessen the pain of being hit so strongly. And just as suddenly, the whip's lashes cracking across his back had him arching his chest and stomach forward to get away from the torturous whip. Another hoarse shriek left his throat and he shuddered from the pain, about to fall forward again._

_He was stopped by a hand in his hair, pulling so savagely he could feel individual hairs leaving his scalp in large numbers. One of his hands instinctively flew up to grab at the man's arm as he grit his teeth to keep from screaming at him._

_Not-yet-David glared up at the man through watering eyes and saw the disgusting smirk peeling across his face. He glanced at the man's other hand briefly and saw only the whip in his hand. The bamboo had been cast aside somewhere._

_"You know what I _**should**_ do?" The man inquired with a familiar, repulsive lilt to his voice. The boy looked back at him and tasted stomach acid. "I should make you fucking suck my cock, you slut, since you're too much of a stupid moron and pain isn't getting through to you."_

-"I think, in that moment he forgot that I did that kind of shit everyday. I was used to it. I'd been forced to do it before. …But then again, he probably knew that I hated it, loathed it, so much that I'd do practically anything else not to. …I suspected he hated me as much as I hated him, even though at the time I thought it was impossible for anything to hate more that I did."-

_Not-yet-David spit bloody saliva into his face and the man growled. He jerked the boy closer to him by his hair and not-yet-David stuck out his free hand to push against the man's thigh. He writhed around, trying to tug himself free as he pushed at the man with everything he had, which wasn't much. The man laughed repulsively at his struggles._

_Just then the door splintered and swung open, banging loudly against the wall and bouncing back. The man jerked his head up, half an order falling from his lips when he froze. The boy tensed too, wondering just what the hell was going on._

_Then his hair was released and the man's heavy boot was kicking him violently to the side where he sprawled, clutching his cracked ribs and feeling sticky clots over some of his welts. He gasped and forced his blurry eyes open, still curious despite everything._

_What he saw shocked him entirely._

_Standing confidently five feet from the burly man and holding a gun pointed at the man with a stony expression was a blonde teen. His green eyes were sharp and locked onto the man as though he were the sole purpose of him being in that room. He wore a pair of jeans and a black shirt without sleeves. An equally black gun holster was strapped around his shoulder and a knife was strapped to the side of his thigh. Strapped around his forearms were some kind of leather braces._

-"Telling this all now, it seems pretty cliché, like a fairytale. The whole 'Prince Charming' bursting in to save the damsel kind of bullshit that people say never really happens. I mean, obviously it does, or no one would know about it."-

_"Gonna shoot me pretty-boy?" The man laughed and the blond boy fired his gun with barely a sound. Blood sprayed from the back of the man's right shoulder and he gasped in shock._

_His face contorted in rage a second later as he growled, in pain or maybe in anger, and he swung the whip at the blonde. Without even a twitch of surprise in his expression the blonde launched backwards, avoiding the whip and sliding his gun back into it's holster. The man moved forward, swinging the whip again and the blonde boy raised his arm to catch the lashes. They smacked against the leather on his forearm and he twisted his arm, wrapping the whip around the appendage and the palm of his hand. Gripping it tightly he tugged and the burly man appeared shocked as his arm jerked, an awkward snap sounding from his wrist as the wristband was wrenched off. He yelped and clutched his wrist with his other hand._

_Swinging his arm with the motion of the jerk the blond spun the whip around and painfully whacked the man in the head with the handle. The burly man's head twisted to the side and he stumbled back, closer to the wall. The blonde flung the whip away, letting it slither off his arm, and drew his gun, firing off another shot. This one went into the man's foot and he fell back, colliding against the wall and falling to the ground. He groaned, grimacing at his foot, before he lifted his head and let out a screech of wrath at the blonde._

_Not-yet-David curled up tight then, squeezing his eyes shut and just waiting for whatever might happen._

-"I can't remember really what I was thinking or feeling at that moment. I just knew that I wanted it all to disappear. I wanted to sleep. Everything hurt and the more blood I lost the hungrier I got. I felt sick from all the pain. I wanted to throw up. I wanted to get out. I wanted to go to sleep and wake up somewhere else. I wanted to be alone in that moment. …I think I even wanted to just die for a split second… But I'm not sure since everything was a big mess in my head, all of it kinda fogged over with pain."-

_An arm pressed against the backs of his knees and a hand gripped his leg while another arm pressed against his back, that hand grabbing his shoulder. Carefully he was turned onto his back and held in the blonde's arms. There was a shuffle and suddenly the boy was suspended in the air, a strong chest pressed against his side along with the hardness of a gun. He opened his eyes and looked up at the blonde for a second before closing his eyes again, too tired to care about whatever he was going to do._

_The arm around his shoulders tensed and the boy flinched when the one supporting his legs suddenly shifted, slowly sliding out from behind them. He was lowered onto his knees gently and he opened his eyes again to see the burly man in front of him, glaring at him. Not-yet-David was kneeling between his legs. Why?_

_Another's presence crouched down behind him and he was scooted closer to the man, who raised his good hand to hit him, or something. His wrist was caught by the blonde behind the boy, his other hand tenderly slid into the damp-from-sweat-and-blood locks of his hair and guided his head to the man's neck. Not-yet-David squirmed, not sure if he wanted to drink the burly man's blood, but the hand on the back of his head insisted and his mouth was pressed into a quivering pulse. He latched right on after that, his hands grasping the man's shoulders as he bit deeply into his neck and began sucking down mouthful after mouthful of blood._

_The hand left his hair and the boy barely noticed, too exhausted and thirsty and sore to wonder. He drank until his wounds were healed, welts sewing themselves closed with barely a trace of what had been as bruises faded quickly, changing colors too quick to notice. Then the hand was in his hair again, easing him back from the man's leaking neck._

_"Are you okay?" The blonde asked and not-yet-David nodded, staring curiously at him. "Good. Here."_

_He lifted his pant-leg and pulled a small gun from his boot. He handed it to the boy who took it apprehensively._

-"At that moment, holding a gun, knowing what it was and having seen one before and what it could do, I had no clue how to feel exactly. I was actually afraid of it. I didn't want to touch it. I didn't want to use it. Guns were something only Sirs and gang members had. I hated them too by default, just because I'd only ever seen someone I hated holding one. But yet here was someone holding one, using it, to help me."-

_"Point and pull the trigger," the blonde said and that was it for explanation. Not-yet-David was hauled to his feet and he once again wondered what the hell was going on._

_Suddenly a new, female voice filled the small room, crackling and somewhat distorted._

_"Lindsay, do you copy? Over."_

_The blonde, Lindsay, grabbed the unnoticed-until-now radio on his belt and responded._

_"Lindsay here. I copy. Over."_

_"Where are you? Over."_

_"Second floor. I found one of the kids chained up and being flogged. Over."_

_David looked down at his foot and realized the cuff had been unlocked and removed without him noticing._

_"Well keep moving, dumbass. You only have twenty minutes left to clear your part of the building of kids. Over."_

_"Yeah, we're going. Over."_

_And then Lindsay re-hooked his radio to his belt before heading toward the door, motioning with his gun for not-yet-David to follow. Together they crept around the house, looking in rooms and ushering any of the kids they found out of the house._

_"There's a guy with red hair on the bottom floor at the bottom of the stairs, go find him and he'll tell you how to get out," Lindsay explained to three of the kids, the third time doing so as he shoved them out the door to what had been their room. Each of them looked at the boy with the blonde, one of the two girls actually glaring._

-"She seemed jealous, although I had no clue about what… that is, not until much later."-

_When they started down the stairs at the end of the hallway Lindsay moved on with the boy right behind him._

_"You're the only one who hasn't taken off at the first chance," Lindsay stated conversationally and glanced back at not-yet-David. The boy didn't know how to respond to that so he just shrugged._

_Around the next corner they ran into a short man stepping out of a room and Lindsay raised his gun, took one glance at the handgun in his hand and fired. Blood erupted from behind the man's head and he dropped to the ground, a neat, little, red circle right between his eyes. Neither moved for a second before creeping forward carefully towards the closed door._

_They reached it and found it cracked open. Lindsay pushed the boy to the side of the door, out of sight, and readied his gun. He took a deep breath and shouldered it open. He swept into the room, scanning around it with his gun held ready to shoot. In the middle of the room was a girl wearing a robe and a pair of loose pants. She stared sharply at Lindsay, holding a knife in her hand._

_Not-yet-David stepped cautiously into the room and when he saw her he ran to her._

_"Gabe!"_

-"Gabe was one of the few in the place who had a name, but that was because she knew her name from before. Her parents had named her Gaberiella but she said she didn't want to think of them and instead told the few friends she had there to call her Gabe. Names weren't allowed in the brothels because they gave us personality. They made us individuals. We were supposed to be goods and goods only."-

_She flinched, her eyes widening and she opened her arms to receive his hug. When they pulled apart Gabe looked at the closet in the corner._

_"Come out, guys," she said and the doors to it opened and not-yet-Max, along with four small children, stepped out, the blonde girl holding one of them._

_"What's going on?" She asked and one of the children grabbed her pant leg, terrified upon seeing the guns. They'd all been witness at one point of their capabilities._

_"Uhm, I think we're leaving," not-yet-David said, giving Gabe a confused look. "This guy-" A motion towards Lindsay. "-is going around telling everyone to get out. There's supposed to be a guy with red hair downstairs showing people out."_

_"You all need to go," Lindsay stated, holding his gun at his side and stepping closer to them. He placed his hand on the back of not-yet-Max's shoulder and nudged her toward the door. "Go down the stairs to the guy with red hair. Follow his instructions."_

_"What about the Sirs?" Gabe questioned, receiving another confused look from the boy. "My brain kinda froze and is having trouble thawing."_

_"Don't worry about the Sirs," Lindsay said and nudged her after the blonde girl and children hovering near the door. Not-yet-David nodded and Gabe returned it, herding the others out of the room, disappearing around and down the hall a moment later._

_"You really should follow them," Lindsay said quietly, placing his hand over the boy's hand holding the gun. The boy glared at him and tugged his hand away, heading for the door. His shoulder was grabbed and he was pulled to a stop._

_"Fine. Don't follow," Lindsay stated, staring him down. "But you stay behind me at all times."_

_Not-yet-David nodded once, acquiescing to his order._

_Clearing the rest of the bunk rooms out was easy after that, nearly everyone running for the stairs as soon as they were told it was safe to go. Barely any Sirs or gang members were around and the boy found this quite odd. They were in the attic room not-yet-David shared with Gabe when Lindsay pointed it out._

_"Maybe they're hiding," the boy suggested, pulling a vase-like object from under one of the beds. He took the lid off and requested a backpack from its depths and a teddy bear one appeared a second later, being pushed from inside. The boy raised his eyebrow but replaced the lid and slid the vase into it, slinging it over his shoulder a second later._

_"Is that it?" Lindsay asked and the boy motioned toward the door in an 'after you' way with a quiet "yep."_

_They were halfway down the stairs of the attic when the female voice from before crackled over the radio._

_"Lindsay, do you copy? Over."_

_Lindsay unhooked the radio and brought it up to his mouth._

_"I copy. Over."_

_"Are the kids cleared out? Over."_

_"Just finished in the attic. Over."_

_"Fantastic. Akio requests your help in the Sirs quarters. Over."_

_"Right on it. Over."_

_"You have thirty minutes. Over."_

_"Got it. Over."_

_The crackling disappeared and the radio was reattached to Lindsay's belt. He continued down the stairs and when they were at the bottom he holstered his gun and grabbed not-yet-David's wrist, placing his hand over the gun in the boy's hand._

_"Go downstairs," he commanded and started slipping the gun from his hand. The boy tightened his hold on it and glared at Lindsay._

_"No way. I wanna know what's going on," he argued and tried twisting his arm from Lindsay's grasp._

_"We're getting you out of here," Lindsay said and tightened his grip on not-yet-David's wrist with bruising force. "So go downstairs."_

_"No."_

_"Just my luck," Lindsay muttered, jerking the boy closer to him. "That I get stuck with the defiant kid. That's what you were getting beat for, wasn't it."_

_"None of your business," not-yet-David enunciated with ire. Lindsay sighed and let go of him stepping back._

_"Fine," he said and held his hands up in defeat. "But if you get shot, it's not my problem."_

_"Good."_

_Lindsay ignored him and took his gun back out and started down the hallway toward the door that is always locked near the top of the stairs going down to the bottom floor. It was the door that no one was ever allowed into because everything on the other side belonged to the Sirs. Lindsay went right to it and after the boy was standing out of sight to the side of it he lifted his foot and kicked it near the handle._

_It cracked and swung open, catching a man standing on the other side in the face. Lindsay shot him as he stumbled into the wall, the bullet going into his cheek. Not-yet-David stepped into the narrow hall and saw a man entering from the door at the other end, pulling out a gun. He froze and his mind went entirely blank, no thoughts, no emotions. His breathing stopped as a shot echoed in the hall._

_He blinked, seeing the gun in his hand pointed at the man falling to the floor, gurgling and grappling at his neck, gun forgotten on the floor._

-"It was that moment, when I realized the shot had come from the gun in my hand, that I felt powerful holding a gun. It was thrilling feeling that way. Nothing could touch me as long as I pulled the trigger before the other person. The moral aspect of it all didn't even come to my mind until way later, when we were safe in the group's hideout that night."-

_Lindsay touched the boy's shoulder and he turned to look at the blonde with incredulity._

_"That was a good shot. Did you mean to shoot him in the neck?" Lindsay asked gently, not wanting to startle the boy in case he went into shock or something._

_"I- I don't know. I just… Pointed and pulled the trigger," not-yet-David said almost breathlessly. Lindsay's eyebrows rose in surprise._

_"I don't know if that's a lucky shot or if you just have good aim but next time you shoot, try for the head."_

_"Yeah. Will do," the boy muttered and turned toward the now dead man at the end of the hall. "You first."_

_Lindsay stepped forward and jogged down the hall, the boy following right behind him. The blonde picked up the fallen gun and shoved it into the back of his jeans before he nudged the door open with his foot, slipping through the opening. Not-yet-David counted to ten and when he didn't hear any shots he followed._

_They were in another hallway again. One that turned to the right after four doors on the left and two on the right. Each door was open and laying half in the hall out of the second door on the left was a man in a blue shirt, slumped in a pool of blood. Each room was cleaned out of men, dead or just empty. All except the door at the end of the hall, the fourth door on the left. It was one that looked right down the hallway._

_In that one, Lindsay and the boy entered it to find a tall girl wearing black combat boots with a knife handle sticking out from one boot, black jean-shorts with another gun strapped to her left thigh, an olive-drab tank-top with a black gun holster over her shoulder, similar braces as Lindsay's on her arms, and two more guns strapped to her lower back. A small duffle bag was slung over her back from shoulder to hip._

_In her hand was a gun like Lindsay's, pointed at the man's head whose neck was being pressed on with the bottom of her boot._

_She jerked her head in their direction, left hand going to the gun on her thigh but not drawing it while her right stayed trained on the man. Her ponytail swished over her shoulder with the motion of her head._

-"In that moment, she was the most badass person I had ever seen. And I was used to meeting gang members who would boast about any accomplishment that they could, just to get complimented and fawned over. I wanted to be like her, since in that moment, when she was standing with her boot on that man's neck, the same man that seemed so frightening before when we were all defenseless, and holding a gun so steady, she seemed like the most independent, strong person ever. Especially since she was a girl and I'd only ever seen fragility and weakness."-

_"Hey Lindsay," she greeted casually, dropping her left hand from the gun. "Who's the kid?"_

_"One of them," he responded, jerking his head over his shoulder in the direction they came from. "He insisted on following me. So what's going on here?"_

_"All the fuckheads locked themselves in their leader's room and this idiot has the key," the girl said, momentarily pressing harder on the man's windpipe, causing him to gag and flail. "Didn't want to take them all on without help."_

_"Understandable," Lindsay stated and holstered his gun, walking closer to the man. "Are you waiting on anyone else or is it just me?"_

_"Just you- HEY!" The girl was saying but turned toward not-yet-David who had kicked the man on the floor right between the legs with his heel. She stepped harder on his neck when he tried to curl into himself, holding his injured groin._

_"What the hell was that for, you dipshit?" She barked and Lindsay eased the glaring boy back with a hand on his chest._

_"He's a fuckhead," the boy said, spitting the word at the man. "What does it matter?"_

_The girl actually started laughing at that, her whole mood toward him changing._

_"Well," she said, smiling at the boy. "Since I have help now, lets get the keys from this dumbshit and go in. You, boy, c'mere."_

_She motioned for not-yet-David to step closer to her and the man._

_"Hold your gun on him," she ordered and once the boy was pointing it at him she holstered her own, crouching down to rifle through the man's pockets. Moments later she pulled out a ring of keys and held them in front of the man's face._

_"Which one?" She asked him and he glanced nervously between her, the gun pointed at him, and the keys._

_"Th-The- It's the-the brass wuh-one th-that has a- a- an english letter on- on it," the man stuttered out, seeming terrified._

_"Good," the girl smiled and stood up, looking through the keys. "Shoot him."_

_"What?" Lindsay exclaimed just as not-yet-David pulled the trigger and sent a bullet spiraling into the man's eye._

-"It was odd shooting someone like that. Just pulling the trigger and seeing them just stop moving, knowing they were dead. It was exhilarating at the time. And just like before, none of the moral aspects of it entered my mind."-

_"Nice," the girl said and clapped the boy on the shoulder._

_"What the fuck was that, Akio? You can't order a kid to do that shit," Lindsay said angrily, grabbing her shirt._

_"And why the fuck not?" Akio muttered, only paying attention to the keys. She held one up. "AHA! Lets go! …Let go of my shirt, Lindsay."_

_Lindsay glared at her before releasing her and walking over to not-yet-David where he was still standing and staring at the man, his gun at his side. The blonde placed his hand gently on his shoulder and the boy kicked the dead man's head and walked away, going for the door where Akio had just turned left out of. Lindsay stopped him with a hand on his shoulder again._

_"Are you okay?" He asked softly and the boy held the gun in his hand up, looking at it and then at Lindsay._

_"I'm great," he murmured and grinned. Lindsay frowned but let him follow Akio._

-"Lindsay probably thought I was insane or something in that moment. Maybe I was. I had never felt better than when I was holding that gun, killing the men I'd hated and feared for most of my life."-

_At the door in the alcove she waited, holding the key in one hand ready at the door handle and gripping her gun in her other hand. Once the three were ready, the blonde and the boy standing on either side of the door, she spoke._

_"Kill everyone but the leader," she ordered then looked at Lindsay. "Shizuka and Jewel want him for their message."_

_Then Akio slipped the key in, turned it and the lock clicked. She turned the knob and kicked the door, whipping out the gun on her thigh._

-"Well we swept in there, shooting at anything that moved, Akio first then Lindsay with me behind him, shooting at every man I recognized as a Sir. In about two minutes half of the men were dead and Lindsay was pushing me behind a recliner in the corner of the room, crouching behind it a second later. He ejected the empty clips in our guns before he pulled out two more clips from his back pocket and reloaded the guns. Then he handed mine back to me and we were back in the fray, taking everyone still alive down.

"I remember shaking so bad from the adrenaline when all the men were dead, I could barely stand. Akio grabbed my arm when I almost tripped over one of the bodies on the ground. She seemed extremely pleased with me or something, grinning like a maniac and clapping me on the back, like I did something amazing."-

_"You hit everything you aimed at," Akio said brightly, gesturing around the room with one hand._

_"Maybe that's not such a good thing," Lindsay said and interrupted her moment. He was carefully walking around the room, poking his gun at the bodies and looking at their faces. "Where's the leader?"_

_Akio spun around on her heel, sweeping her gaze over the bodies immediately around her. Not-yet-David looked up and saw the door to the left of the shot-up desk near the back of the room._

_"Think he's in there?" He suggested and pointed with one hand at the door._

_"Definitely," Akio said and strode over there, smiling like the cat that trapped the canary. "Get ready."_

_And then she pulled out the guns on her back, raised her foot, and kicked in the door. She disappeared into the room, shots sounding from inside, before Lindsay and the boy could make it over._

-"Lindsay seemed pretty freaked. He bolted over there and flew through the doorway in less time it took me to blink. And I mean I was pretty scared too, but not like him. I was scared because I didn't know who was dead. Was it an ally or an enemy? He was freaked because he knew her."-

_"Akio, holy shit," Lindsay breathed once he had taken in scene in the room, not-yet-David behind him, seeing it for the first time._

_Groaning and holding his right wrist with a bleeding left hand was the leader, a knife handle protruding from the palm of his right hand pinning it to the wall. Four holes were dotting the wall in a steady line to the left of the door. They stopped at the couch Akio was sitting on the back of with her legs apart like a guy while holding her guns between them in her hands. A smug smile was on her face as she stared at the man._

-"It was all too easy for me to piece together what had happened."-

_"Was that necessary?" Lindsay questioned in exasperation. Akio shrugged._

_"He shot at me," Akio said matter-of-fact and motioned with one gun at the man. "With his hand stuck like that he can't reach his dropped gun."_

_"Whatever. Toss me your pack," Lindsay ordered and Akio holstered her guns at her back and unclipped the pinch-buckle on her chest. She tossed the bag from her back to Lindsay who unzipped it and pulled out a bundle of thin climbing rope. He unrolled it and tied one end with a slip knot, leaving a long tail._

_Then he walked over to the man and jerked his bloody hand away from his wrist to slip the loop over his hand. The blonde pulled the loop tight and twisted the man's arm behind his back, wrapping the rope around his neck and then back down and around his wrist. He paused then and reached up, ripping Akio's knife from the man's hand before tossing it to her, since she had jumped up from the couch and sauntered over. The cord was wrapped around the man's neck again - knots tied around the first wrap of the rope on each side of his jugular - and brought down to his free wrist, where it was wrapped and tied. His wrists were tied together then and the rope was wrapped around his hands held in a prayer, except with his palms facing out._

_To finish it all off, Lindsay slipped the rope around the many loops holding the man's wrists together before doing the same with the rope around his neck. The tail from the slip knot Lindsay tied with the remainder of the rope in a complex knot not-yet-David couldn't follow._

_"There," he said with a huff and kicked the man onto his knees. "That should hold 'im… and stop the bleeding in his hands. He won't pass out on us."_

_"Good," Akio muttered, examining her newly cleaned blade to make sure all of the blood previously on it was wiped off with her shirt. "Should we tie his feet together too? We have the rope for it."_

_"Do you wannta help me carry him if we do?" Lindsay said with his eyebrows raised._

_"Good point," Akio said and and slipped her knife back into the sheath in her boot. "We make him walk then. You keep your gun on his back, I'll lead us, and the kid can follow behind you. Got it?"_

-"It was odd, very strange in fact, to see these two people who looked to be about fourteen and fifteen handling guns and tying a full grown man and practically joking about it as though it were nothing. At that moment I felt as though there were oceans of time between our ages and it bothered me quite a bit because to me it was just another way I was miles more inferior. In that place you were treated subpar, and even if you didn't show it, you knew that wasn't how things were supposed to be. Fairy-tale-like stories from the kids kidnapped with memories of their old life attested to that. Some Sirs made sure you felt every day that you were nothing but third-rate merchandise.

"And I never once believed it completely, like I did when I saw them like that."-

_She pulled one of her guns and swung it onto the boy when she said "got it" as though she were making some important point. Not-yet-David nodded promptly and she twirled it away on her finger._

_"Grab my bag on your way out," she ordered and waltzed out the door, motioning them to follow her._

_"Wait," the boy called and Akio leaned back in, staring at him to make him continue. "Uh, he... has a lot of money right? He's the one who keeps it up here? Why don't we take it? With us and- and- If we're all supposed to be leaving how are we expected to live without money outside? If I'm going out there I want to make sure I'll survive."_

_"That's actually a good idea," Akio muttered and came back into the room. She stopped in front of the man, pointing her gun at his head. "Where's your safe and what's the code?"_

_He trembled in silence and she rapped him on the head with the barrel of her gun._

_"I-In the corner, behind the closet door, o-over there," the man sputtered out, nodding in the direction of the door by his bed. "The c-code is thirty-six, ni-ninety-seven, fourteen and there's a-also a key that I ke-eep in the gold box on the dresser. It h-has a f-false bottom."_

_Akio sauntered over and opened it, dumping out the precious jewelry she found there before ripping the false bottom out. There was a key no bigger than her pinky in it and she took it over to the closet door, opening it to find a big, squat safe behind it. The key she inserted into it the middle of the lock, as per the man's instruction, spun in the code, turned the key to the left, and pulled the handle down._

_The safe clicked open and she jerked the door open to find tight piles of money stacked neatly on shelves inside it._

_"That's a lot of cash. Why the fuck isn't it hidden in some bank or something?" Akio wondered out loud._

_"B-boss wanted this place a- a complete sec- cret. No one b-but customers and u-us were supposed to know. The c-cash would create sus-spicion," the man said as Akio rummaged around the room, looking for something to carry the money in. Eventually she found a backpack and started tossed the bound bills into it, filling it all the way and zipping it. She glanced at the almost half-full safe and shrugged, pulling the backpack on._

-"Remember, Sho, asking me about the money I used when I went shopping after I first came here? Well that's how I 'acquired' it. It was stolen from that place. It was all split between everyone but Akio gave me and Lindsay more because it was my idea to get it in the first place and she was practically in love with Lindsay. The two were like incestuous siblings, I swear, fighting over the stupidest shit one second like siblings then fooling around like old lovers the next."-

_"That should be enough," she said and picked up her gun from the dresser, pocketing the jewelry. "Lets get going."_

_And with that she practically skipped from the room._

_Lindsay stooped and hauled the man to his feet with a hand under his arm. The man groaned as the ropes pulled on his arms and neck with the jerk. The excess rope Lindsay twisted around his hand and held onto tightly while he press his gun to the man left shoulder-blade in a silent, ushering threat. The man started walking immediately and Lindsay followed Akio, leaving the boy to pick-up Akio's nearly empty bag._

-"There was a shit ton of knives and saws and instruments of the like all rolled up in a thick cloth. I know because I looked before I zipped it up and ran after them. I hated knowing later what they were for."-

_"Time's up." A male's voice crackled over the radio this time, startling not-yet-David as it echoed from the fact that it was traveling over two radios._

_Akio unhooked her radio with her free hand as they walking cautiously down the hall that led back to the kids' bunking quarters._

_"You're supposed to say 'over' at the end of your transmission, Shizuka. Over."_

_"The house is empty," Shizuka said flatly and then just as monotonously stated, "We're in the show room."_

-"The show room was a large room in the middle of the house with couches and armchairs and one large table where we were to be from nine in the morning to midnight. It was where our customers chose which whore they wanted."-

_"Just because we've killed everyone doesn't mean you drop protocol, the one you agreed upon just so you know. It's just unprofessional, something you've always said we should act as, professionals I mean. Over."_

_"Akio, shut up and get your scrawny asses down here."_

_"You're definitely skinnier than Lindsay, he's a beast. And yeah, you're skinnier than even me, and I'm pretty thin for my build. Don't be calling _us_ 'scrawny!'"_

_The radio crackled but no voice came over and then it fell silent after three seconds. __*****_

_"You pissed him off," Lindsay said and yanked the man back, sensing he was about to bolt. Not-yet-David wondered about the intimidating-sounding guy on the radio. He also wondered again why he and someone else named Jewel needed the leader of the house. What was this message they had to send? Who was it for?_

_They were at the stairs and descending then, the boy wondering if the red-haired guy the other kids were told to go to was still at the bottom. Where were the other kids now? Would he ever see Gabe and Max again? Oh, they were at the bottom of the stairs. The guy was no where but Akio was saying something. What was it?_

_"Hey! You! Kid! Gimme my bag! …And give Lindsay back his gun while your at it."_

_That's what it was._

_Not-yet-David blinked owlishly before slipping it from his shoulder and tossing it to her. She caught it with a sinister grin and jogged toward the show room, Lindsay pushing the man into a faster pace. The boy, not knowing anything better to do, trotted after them._

_They reached the show room where a young woman, she had to be at least 17 years old by not-yet-David's reckoning, sat on the show room table with her legs crossed, comfortably reclining with her palms on the tabletop behind her. Her long, black hair spilled over her shoulders and she wore a pair of black boots with red laces up the front to her knee and a red miniskirt. Her shirt was practically nonexistent, just a black strip of fabric covering her breasts with wide, fluttering, gossamer strips hanging from it. On her hands she wore a pair of elbow high black leather gloves._

-"That was Jewel, though I didn't know it at the time. Apparently she was the girl from before who had scarred her face to get out. Over time the scar had faded as she fed better, eating better meals and drinking more blood. It was barely visible after all those years of living better with Shizuka, whom she had met when she had been running from some gang members that recognized her as she told me one day long after that one, when we were all living at their base."-

_As soon as she caught sight of the tied up man her once pensive-appearing expression changed to a grimace of purely wrathful-repugnant-detesting. The man's eyes widened and he shuddered when he saw her face._

_Leaning on the arm of a chair with his arms crossed was a short man wearing all black as he stared at the floor intensely, looking extremely pissed off at something. At the tied man's movement he lifted his head and from his young face not-yet-David believed he was about as old as the girl. His eyes burned fiercely with a potent amount of many powerful emotions and he immediately strode over to the tied up man. He grabbed him by his hair and dragged him away from Lindsay, slamming his face into the table causing his nose to bust in an eruption of blood._

_Then he let go and turned away, looking directly at Akio. It was as though he had completely missed the boy's prescense._

_"Shizuka?" Akio questioned tentatively, seeming worried and fearful. The boy was a bit taken aback at this not used to her being anything except confident and reckless in the short amount of time he'd known her._

_"Tie him to the table," Shizuka commanded._

_The young woman rolled off the table in a flutter of gossamer as Lindsay and Akio moved to untie and retie the man, laying him on his back on the polished wood of the table. Shizuka went over and plopped himself down in the chair whose arm he had been leaning on. The scantily dressed girl strode over and sat in his lap sideways, leaning on one arm and throwing a leg over the opposite._

_When the man was tied to the table Lindsay came over to not-yet-David and gently took his gun back, the boy letting him since he was feeling the stir of dread in his stomach as he watched Akio in fascination when she unzipped her bag and retrieved the roll of bladed implements. She unrolled them on the table next to the man and he glanced at them, a sweat breaking out on his forehead as he whimpered. Akio removed a glinting, scalpel-like knife from a sewn slot in the black fabric and held it up for the man to see. He trembled and keened in terror._

_Everything clicked in that moment for not-yet-David and he gasped, stumbling back and kicking over the vase nearby._

-"I- I couldn't believe what they were going to do. Being on the other end of something similar, it was- it was… It was sickening in the worst sense. I just couldn't believe it."-

_Shizuka and the girl in his lap both startled, sitting up and glaring in the boy's and Lindsay's direction._

_"What the hell was that?" Shizuka demanded and pushed the young woman from his lap, flying to his feet. "Why the fuck is there still a fucking kid here?"_

_Akio looked up at them, appearing to have forgotten all about not-yet-David._

_"Fuck Lindsay, get him the fuck out of here," Shizuka growled, marching over to them and pushing Lindsay in the chest toward the door. Too surprised to react, the blonde just staggered into the doorjamb. Not-yet-David's arm was seized and he was yanked after Lindsay whose shirt was being grabbed and jerked on to get him moving._

_"Continue as planned or we'll be behind," Shizuka ordered and Akio did, a small sob being heard from the man on the table as she started._

-"And I was terrified, being dragged through the house by Shizuka. Any trust I had in these people was wavering and thin with this information. The thought of them killing these horrible people was giving them the status of amazing super heroes in my head but then… Then that was cracked and I wanted to throw up. They were still kids, like us. They were only a handful of years older than me and they were going to- I just couldn't hold onto the situation at the time."

_The three reached the foyer, at which point Lindsay wrenched himself free from Shizuka's grasp and he glared at the shorter, slighter male. Shizuka's returning gaze was black._

_"This is fucked up, Lindsay. It's fucking bullshit," he whispered harshly, shoving not-yet-David in front of himself, unconsciously shaking him a little. "Get him the fuck away from this place now. And get a shirt an some fucking shoes on him too. He's covered in fucking blood."_

_Then not-yet-David was thrust from Shizuka's grasp into Lindsay's chest and the dark young man was spinning around and angrily stomping back to the show room. Another sob, this one louder, was heard from the room._

_Lindsay let go of not-yet-David and instead ripped open the closet in the small entryway and tore a brown jacket with a large hood from a coat hanger with a creepily calm sense of urgency. He threw it over the boy's shoulders and not-yet-David slipped his arm in and just zipped it up, fumbling with the zipper in his haste to just 'get away, get away, get away.' Lindsay dropped a pair of unlaced sneakers in front of him next and his feet were shoved into them. A scarf was tied over his eyes and the hood pulled over his head, much to his terrified whining protest._

_"Cover your ears," Lindsay said and not-yet-David did as he was asked. Hands grabbed his waist and he was pushed forward and through the covering of his hands he heard a loud, agonized scream right before the chatter and clamor of outside washed through his muffled hearing._

_"Focus on your breathing," Lindsay's familiar voice murmured near his covered ear and not-yet-David took a deep breath, letting it out in a extra loud whoosh. His heartbeat pounded in his head, he noticed for the first time, and suddenly it was the only thing he could hear, the only thing he could feel as he was steered stumblingly away from the house._

_Not-yet-David couldn't tell how long it had been before the scream of police sirens blared through his hands, making him jump. Lindsay's hands clasped over his, holding them pressed over his ears in an attempt to help drown out the wails and honks of firetruck sirens as they whizzed by, not even ten feet away._

_When they were gone Lindsay's arm went around his waist and they continued on, walking for who knows how long. Not-yet-David couldn't tell time without seeing time. He could only tell by the burn in his legs. But they'd been sore since before the police and firetrucks and not-yet-David didn't know how far he could walk without his legs hurting._

_Then there was shouting, not-yet-David not even paying attention anymore to anything but his even _whish-whoosh_ breathing and his steady _ba-dump-ba-dump_ heartbeat. Even the soreness in his legs had left his mind._

_There was a bang, barely registered, and suddenly the air became warmer. The bang was heard again along with the rasp of a bolt sliding into place and the chinking of a heavy chain moving. He was held at a stop. Then his hands were eased away from his ears and the hood was pushed down. Gentle fingers worked on the knot of his makeshift blindfold and suddenly light was blinding him. He was standing in a small concrete room, with one heavy door right in front of him and a figure to his right in front of him, partially hidden in the light._

_"Welcome back, Lindsay," the figure said and, with some blinking, not-yet-David was able to see a tall guy with bright, red hair looking curiously at him._

_"Am I the last, Raei?"** Lindsay murmured quietly since he was standing behind not-yet-David._

_"Yeah. I asked about sending a car out to get you, but Shizuka said it was punishment for your fuck-up," Raei explained and then casually waved a hand at not-yet-David, grinning. "Is this it?"_

_Lindsay only grunted and nudged not-yet-David toward the door in front of them._

_

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* - _looks like "..."

** - pronounced like RAY

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**Jaded's after-words: **Wow... okay so yeah... I'm not sure what to say for the end of this chapter ...BAI**  
**


	14. Learning More: David's Story Arc

**Chapter Title:** Learning More: David's arc

**Rating:** _PG-15_/R (_chapter_/story)

**Chapter:** 12.3/?

**Warnings: **mentions of rape/abuse/sex, language, embarrassing conversation subject matter for David

**Disclaimer:** Gackt owns Moon Child. (Doesn't that mean he owns Kei too?)

**Pairings:** Lindsay/David

**Jaded's fore-words:** So since I'm getting this out quick and not waiting for Soubi to comment I'll be expecting two comments from her. And I'd like to thank my wifey Cynda for reading and dropping some reviews. :D Satchi, I love your comments. Really I do. And I love your dislike of Lindsay. It makes me smile a lot.

This is the last in a David arc but not the last of David's past. There's more. Because there is. And then we get to focus on Sho and Kei getting unfy with each other.

* * *

_**Lindsay only grunted and nudged not-yet-David toward the door in front of them.**_

* * *

"Later I found out about what had happened after we left. The house leader was tortured, his skin carved up and peeled away in some places, some fingers cut off and et cetera. Then gang members had flocked into the house as Akio, Jewel, and Shizuka made their escape out the kitchen via the backdoor of a bar across the alley. The house was set ablaze from the outside in, gasoline having been poured all over the walls and dumped on the roof. Any exits were blown up with small explosives so the people inside were trapped and left to burn.

"When the police showed up with the firefighters it was a mad scramble to catch all witnesses, almost all being wanted gang members who were trying to get away, as the fire department rushed to put out the house. Gabe told me it burned for thirty minutes before being extinguished entirely. Everyone inside died and all the bodies were found, charred and unrecognizable. The man on the table was found though, burned how he'd been laying with his muscles and ribs and- …showing and everything cut up and the message definitely got to the gangs. After a first couple tries that were dead-end disasters for them, they stopped trying to get revenge on the people who'd killed a large group of their men and brought down their brothels. They stopped trying to recapture us whenever we went out."

David snubbed out his last cigarette, staring at it dazedly with reddened eyes. He rubbed under his nose with a sniff, staring at the table and refusing to look at either Sho or Kei. The sky outside the kitchen window had transformed into the glowing dark blue just after the sun sets.

"Most of us stayed at the base for almost a month, groups banding together and all of learning and relearning the world. How it works, how to interact with people, how to be our own people. I stayed with Gabe and Max, sharing a room with them and living at the base for the full month with them and Shizuka and Raei and Akio and Jewel and Lindsay and a couple others that kept to themselves. Some kids were out as quick as they came in, running off to find their families and old lives or just wanting freedom. Others stuck around for a couple weeks and talked it over in groups before leaving with their friends or in small packs. All of them just trickling out.

"We stayed the longest out of them all. Not leaving until Shizuka and Raei left, Jewel following them and Akio chasing after the three of them. Gabe muttered something about some fucked up love rectangle going on when they were gone.

"Lindsay stayed behind with us though. I think he probably felt responsible for us, me especially since I kept having breakdowns after that day we were all rescued. And I'm not talking about breakdowns from living in the brothel and having a horribly shitty life, like everyone else seemed to have. I mean, I had plenty breakdowns because of that but they were easier to cope with somehow, easier to work through and get over. But whenever Lindsay was around me I would just kinda collapse and for a long time I didn't know why. He actually tried his hardest to avoid me, feeling bad for being the reason I kept breaking down.

"It was the killing that day though. It was killing that got me. It was seeing someone inflict torture on someone else and not stopping it like I would have tried to do for any of the kids in the brothel. It was me killing. I realized it when I had a flashback of when I shot the man in the eye after Akio told me to."

David stopped speaking abruptly, drumming his fingers on the table in a tense, antsy way. Sho leaned closer, bumping against the table. Kei mulled over what David had said about killing and compared it to the one-sided conversation they'd had weeks ago, when David had mentioned that Kei loved Sho (which the vampire still didn't believe).

"How did you end up with Lindsay if he kept making you have nervous breakdowns?" Sho whispered, intent on everything the teen said.

"Because in less than a week he'd seen me bloody, bruised, and weak. He witnessed me kill like a maniac. He was there as I hyperventilated and cried and pulled out my hair during breakdowns. He helped me, held me during those times. He was familiar, almost in a way that Gabe never was then, in a way Max never could be. He stayed with us just because he wanted to, instead of following after the other four who he'd known longer," David explained, smoothing his hands over the table, a thoughtful expression in his eyes. "We just kinda fell together. He was the first person I was attracted to after leaving the brothel. It- It bothered me for a while, that I was attracted to a man after- after being abused by them and raped by them for most of my life. But like everything else I just kinda accepted it about myself. I didn't talk to him about it though. That would have been stupid, the way I saw it.

"It was shortly after that I realized I had absolutely no interest in females as anything but friends. I'd delved into psychology around that time, wanting to know everything I could about everything I could at the time - like a knowledge binge, and I came to the conclusion that it was to be expected since I had been living around girls as siblingy-friend-like figures for my whole life. So I just accepted I was gay and that was the end of it.

"I didn't exactly broadcast it or really tell anyone. Gabe already knew because she knew everything. But Lindsay and I just kept drifting closer somehow and when I was halfway through thirteen - in my head - we kissed. The four of us were camping on the beach under a pier during low tide and it just kinda happened. From there things just snowballed. I mean, why the fuck not? It was just us four and not one of us cared. We had sex for the first time when I was fourteen and that was almost two and a …third of year? Yeah, about two years three months ago.-"

"Really, David, we did not need to know that little bit of information," Sho interrupted, briefly glaring at the hickey on David's neck. Then his face lit up as though he just remembered something. "Wait, if you heal quickly, why is that still there?"

"Vampires are possessive so any possessive marks made by them on their… lover's body stays. But that only happens when …certain things have happened between the two," David said, blushing faintly as he spoke. Sho's eyes narrowed as he stared down the dark red mark on David's neck before a devious smile suddenly peeled away to show his teeth.

"And what are these 'certain things' that have to happen?" Sho asked with teasing.

"A uh, special connection has to be… establish between vampire and uh… their lover," David mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck and the juncture of his shoulder and neck. Sho took note of this action with interest. Kei did too, just not outright staring like Sho was.

"Name one thing that makes this connection," Sho said, deviously prying and David's gaze snapped onto him, looking at the man with a mixture of confusion, shock, and embarrassment.

"Uh okay, uhm… well… Sharing blood," David said, obviously saying the least embarrassing one. Then his cheeks lit up and he mumbled, "but that can only happen in a moment of arousal and can only be done with two vampires …or part vampires."

Kei crossed his arms and placed them on the table with a smile, enjoying the change in atmosphere. He rested his chin on them and stared at the blushing teen avoiding his and Sho's inquisitive gazes.

"And you two did this?" He asked, starting to remember some of the things that could create the connection between a vampire and their… - using the technical term - mate. Like sharing other body fluids. Or a _special_ bite a vampire can give to establish the connection.

"We uh, yeah we did that but…" David said, forcing the words out and scratching the back of his neck in discomfort again. "It… wasn't what made the connection."

"What did then?" Sho prodded playfully, staring more intently if it were possible. David ducked his head and hunched his shoulders up embarrassedly.

"He bit me," he uttered quietly.

A laugh burst from Kei, rolling around in the air as he cackled as though David had said the funniest thing ever. David blushed so hard he appeared sunburned from the tips of his ears to his glittery black shirt.

"Shut up, Kei," he snapped, his voice whiny. "It's not funny! He was in heat and it just happened. It was an accident!"

"What?" Sho asked, glancing between the roaring vampire and the increasingly uncomfortable teen. "I don't get it? He bit you on accident and suddenly you had this vampire connection? Why doesn't everyone he bites have it?"

Kei gasped in a couple times, calming down haltingly. With a tried-but-not-succeeding-suppressed smile Kei turned to Sho and began explaining, since David was obviously unwilling to say anything more.

"The bite David's talking about it a vampire's marking love-bite, a specific type of bite that they give their mates to claim them, thus creating the connection between them," Kei said with Sho nodding slowly, paying rapt attention to Kei. David was silently banging his head on the tabletop. "And this bite, wherever it is, remains extremely an erogenous zone after it's healed until the mated pair split - which few vampires ever do because of the pain inflicted by the snap of their connection. And- And-"

Giggles interrupted Kei as he fought to remain in control of himself but soon loud chortling filled the air again as he attempted to continue. It was extremely difficult for both listener and speaker at this time.

"And these bites are- are usually created when the vampire- vampire that does it… Is in heat!" Kei was finally able to gasp out.

"In heat? What does that mean? Like a cat?" Sho questioned, still confused, if not more. (But he thought he might be getting why Kei found this funny.)

"Yes, heat," David finally said, his voice words mumbled into the table. "The embarrassing time when a vampire is raging with sexual desire and pure, unadulterated arousal, only occurring when it is time for the vampire and their mate to be mated via the connection. It is one of the few still obscure, unexplainable happenings of a vampire. Sharing blood and things like that force the connection to be made but the bite only occurs between two compatible individuals that would - this is going to sound cheesy - be destined to be together for eternity."

Kei's chuckles had died down but he still wore a shit-eating grin when David raised his head back up, a big red mark on his forehead.

"So Lindsay bit you…" Kei said, obviously enjoying stating the obvious, teasing him.

"It wasn't funny. _I_ suddenly had to worry about hickeys and shit and yet _he_ _always_ fucking healed," David muttered angrily. Kei's grin dropped and he stared at David incredulously.

"You rejected the connection?" Kei asked, surprised. The way David had spoken of Lindsay was as though he believed they were meant to be together.

"Yeah, for almost two weeks. By then it was impossible to not do something about it," David said and Sho appeared to be (still) very confused as he was suddenly not in on the conversation.

"Reject the connection?" He repeated, trying to understand what they were talking about. "You mean like, refusing to be Lindsay's mate?"

_'Should have kept resisting,'_ Sho thought to himself, still not fond of the blonde lover of the teen he'd come to start viewing as a little brother.

"Refusing to be his mate, resisting the will to connect with him. Basically it was like trying to sever the invisible bond that we'd created," David explained. "It sucked because for two weeks we were a one-way street. He could mark me, and read me better than a children's book, and I could do nothing to him. Like give him hickeys. I couldn't understand the changes in his voice or his body language. It was like being deaf and blind and it sucked.

"After the drama with that I ended up accepting the connection and returning it - and the bite. Now I have two vampire love bites, since Lindsay wanted to do one right or something like that. I think he was just being possessive, making sure or something."

"Can the bite be anywhere?" Sho asked after a second of thought and David nodded.

"Basically. Mine's on the back of my neck right... here," he said and pulled his shirt over his head, turning to expose his back.

Sho's eyes widened and his mouth opened slightly in shock when he saw the mark on the back of David's neck and shoulder area. There were twin puncture wounds as dark and red as if they had just been created. Connecting them was an arc of a slightly less red color. Underneath that was another arc with little points seeming like an imprint of the tops of four front teeth, the same red as the arc of the top of the bite. What was really odd, and a little disconcerting, was the spiraling, cloudy-appearing red marks expanding out from the bite in varying shades of red and pink. It almost looked like a hypertrophic burn scar, except his skin was perfectly smooth over the mark. He probably could pass it off as a tattoo if Sho and Kei didn't know any better. It wasn't much bigger than Sho's hand.

Kei stared at it with a confused frown, trying to figure out if he had seen it that first day David had lived with them and gotten stuck in the shower. And when he realized he hadn't seen it before, he wondered why he hadn't noticed it.

"Why does it look like that?" Sho asked and David sighed, slipping his glittery shirt back on.

"Because I ignored it," he said. "It stopped growing once I returned the bite."

"But why is it so red?" Sho clarified. "It looks a little scary. I would think it'd be pink or barely seen or something."

"The one on my thigh is like that," David said casually and then blushed six different reds when he realized what he'd said. "I mean uh, it's red?"

"Really dark red," Kei said, frowning at David - who was seeming a bit pale as he himself frowned too. Kei tried to remember if he knew why a claim-bite would turn red. His mind was blank. He frowned some more, hoping maybe, that it would help him recall a memory or a scrap of info about it.

"Hmm, I don't know. The darkest I've ever known it be is a hot pink. Usually it's barely able to be seen," David said offhandedly with a shrug and Kei stopped frowning for a moment. That would explain why he didn't notice it before.

"This is definitely not normal," David uttered.

"Should we be worried?" Kei asked, still trying to remember any information he could about a mate's bite.

"Worried about what?" An unexpected voice interjected in their conversation as David shook his head in answer to Kei's question.

Kei and Sho both glanced at the doorway where Lindsay had just entered the kitchen from. The blonde in turn gazed at them cautiously, trying to pick up hints from their body language.

"The bite on my neck is just really dark," David explained, tilting his head in Lindsay's direction. "Nothing to worry about."

"Mmm," Lindsay uttered. "Does that mean your uh, 'talk' is over?"

Sho and Kei studied one another briefly as though communicating in entire silence, their eyes meeting for less than three seconds before Kei turned to the blonde.

"We're good," he said and Sho nodded in agreement. David got the feeling that as soon as they left the room he was going to be a topic of hushed conversation between the two.

"Alright, then I'll just be stealing him away for a bit," Lindsay said and reached out for David's hand.

David took it and let himself be yanked to his feet, stumbling after Lindsay who nearly dragged him out of the kitchen and to his room, ignoring the rule they'd broken earlier that morning when David had his nightmare. After such a long, difficult conversation that seemed forever ago. David's bedroom unintentionally slammed shut after them and Sho glared at the wall separating the kitchen from the teen's room.

"I still don't like him," Sho announced and Kei snorted, lighting a cigarette, surreptitiously glancing at the wall also.

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**Jaded's after-words:** blearg I'm so glad this part is done... the only thing that sucks is that there's more bouncing around in my head and not leaving me alone! GAH. I really don't like muses sometimes. I'm so doomed. :)


	15. Exchanges

**Chapter Title: **Exchanges

**Rating:** _R_/R

**Chapter:** 13/~20-something?

**Warnings: **Petting, heavy petting, threats, odd conversations, allusions to sex… (nothing y'all can't handle :)

**Disclaimer:** Gackt owns Moon Child. (Doesn't that mean he owns Kei too?)

**Pairings:** Heavy Lindsay/David, slight if-you-squint Kei/Sho

**Jaded's fore-words: **Enjoy hatin Lindsay in this one Satchi. There's plenty for you to. :) And Soubi will not like me for updating so quickly lol. That's an ironic for a fanfic author ha! XD**  
**

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As soon as the door to David's bedroom slammed shut his shirt was torn from his body by Lindsay and he was spun around, held in place by hands on his bare shoulders. David glared at the wall, not exactly in the mood to be examined by his boyfriend. Lindsay exhaled heavily.

"That needs to be taken care of," the blonde murmured uneasily. "It's never been so dark before. Is it bothering you?"

"It stings like I've burned my neck with a hot frying pan and itches like crazy," David said flatly, feeling the urge to scratch his mark now. His hand unconsciously raised and was swatted away by Lindsay.

"Don't," he said, leaning forward and brushing his lips over the furiously red, hot-to-the-touch vampire-bite. Pleasant tingles erupted in David's skin, flaring out from the contact and licking his nerves from the mark to his fingertips and tailbone. David shivered forcefully and jerked away from Lindsay.

"Not now," David muttered, walking to his bed and sitting on the edge. Lindsay followed him with his eyes before physically doing the same.

"You got through it… And they seem to be taking it well," Lindsay said quietly, wrapping an arm around David's shoulders, placing his hand close to the mark.

"Won't really know until later though," David mumbled as Lindsay's thumb started rubbing slow circles into his flesh where the edge of the bite was. The same mind-numbingly pleasant tingles were erupting from the hypersensitive flesh again.

"It's going to get worse the more you do that," David added, his mind sinking into a relaxed haze. "…Cuz when you stop… it'll get …redder …and stuff."

"I know," Lindsay said with a soft hum. "Don't worry about it. We'll do something to fix it tomorrow. I'll kidnap you for the day. We'll sneak away from Sho and Kei, let them spend some time alone together. Maybe they'll be out of denial by the time I bring you back."

"Un...likely," David slurred. Lindsay smirked and moved his hand away.

The teen snapped up, sitting ramrod straight with a suddenly clear mind and pouting at Lindsay.

"No~" he whined pathetically like a child in a bakery denied sweets. "Keep doing it."

Lindsay chuckled and raised his hands to draw nonsensical lines with his fingers onto David's bare back. David hummed contentedly and scooted closer, thoroughly enjoying the attention. The more he relaxed against Lindsay with every soft stroke of fingers the more he would shiver, muscles trembling under Lindsay's fingertips.

"You okay?" The blonde asked quietly.

"It's just from the emotional drain. It'll go away. Just," David sighed and nuzzled into Lindsay's chest. "Keep doing that."

Lindsay whispered an amused chuckle, laying back and pulling David to lay on his chest. His fingers resumed their slow caressing.

They laid there in silence for so long that David's breathing had become the sluggish, even sighs of sleep and the blonde's arm was tired, slowly ceasing to move as he dozed off.

It surprised him then, when David suddenly shot up, a distressed growl leaving his throat, with his arm reaching over his shoulder and his fingernails furiously scratching at the mark. Lindsay blinked a couple times, coming out of his daze in a handful of seconds before his hand darted up and grabbed David's forearm, jerking the younger teen's hand away from itching exactly what he wasn't supposed to.

"Urhg! Can't I just… Cut it off or something?" David cried angrily, the bite throbbing annoyingly, burning as though he had a fever, stinging like he'd scalded himself, and itching worse than chicken pox all at once.

"You can't wait until tomorrow can you?" Lindsay whispered, examining David's irritation in the deep frown on the teen's face.

"Don't think so. Unless you're prepared to stop me from scratching or attempting to cut it off every ten minutes," David growled seriously, unknowingly twisting his wrist in Lindsay's hold, wanting so badly to just tear into his neck.

Lindsay slipped his thigh between David's and pressed it right up against the teen's groin. He began rocking it with small, barely substantial movements, placing his heel on the edge of the mattress for leverage. David hissed softly, ducking his head and pressing his forehead against Lindsay's chest.

"Calm down," Lindsay whispered to the squirming teen. "We'll make it better. We won't actually fuck because I'm sure Kei and Sho would kill me but we'll fix you over until tomorrow. Just be as quiet as you can."

"Not an easy feat. You know me," David muttered, grinding against Lindsay's thigh as his body burned intensely. He lifted his head and glared the blonde. "Why aren't you fucking affected?"

"Because I initiated the bond - _I_ bit _you_, I don't feel it like you do. You ignored it," Lindsay growled and grabbed David's hair, using it to pull the teen down into a brief, fiery kiss. A minute later they parted with gasps and Lindsay's shirt was discarded. David's eyes were closed and he breathed heavily, licking his wet lips. Lindsay grabbed his hair again and pulled his face down into his neck, his lips placing moist kisses all along David's shoulder.

"Besides," he breathed as David whimpered, his hands fisting the sheets on the bed while Lindsay worked his pants open with his free hand. "I _am_ affected. You think my bite hasn't been bothering me? It's always too hot and prickles like when your arm or leg does when it goes to sleep."

Then he shoved his hand into Davids's pants and David bit his neck to muffle his groan.

* * *

In the silence of the kitchen as the two men leisurely smoked, both in their own thoughts revolving around their small, new occupant of their awkward family, it wasn't hard for Kei to hear the murmurs coming through the wall - especially since he was sitting next to it and possessed a vampire's hearing. He had an idea of what was going on in the teen's room and definitely wasn't going to alert Sho, who was smoking and staring out the kitchen window blankly, apparently lost in thought.

"What do you think of all that?" Sho questioned quietly. So quietly in fact, Kei took a moment to wonder if Sho had even spoke at all. He almost missed the movements of Sho's soft lips, and he was staring at the man, lost in his own thoughts.

"All what?" Kei finally asked after an extended hesitation, tapping ash from the end of his cigarette and glancing at David's empty cigarette pack sitting on the table.

"About the gangs and the brothels," Sho clarified, not looking at Kei.

"It was disgusting," Kei said with a grimace, taking a drag from his cigarette.

"Do you think it was real?" Sho asked flippantly and Kei jerked his gaze back onto the man with a glower. Sho seemed to sense his affronted reaction and quickly continued. "I mean, I- The ways David reacted… It was too real. I just know it was. He could barely look at us. I kept feeling like I was watching someone kicking a puppy whenever he cringed… But yet, we've never even heard-"

"Stop," Kei commanded with a wave of his hand. "We didn't know because we didn't know. We couldn't have done anything, Sho," he murmured and stubbed out his cigarette. "I get it. I wanted to murder the fuckers too. But they're dead now. Someone else already did it. It's the past. And I'm pretty sure David wants it to stay like that. Don't dwell on it or you'll just make _him_ uncomfortable. Don't doubt what he said just because you wished you could have killed the bastards yourself."

Sho sighed and rubbed one of his eyes with the heel of his hand.

"What do you think they're doing in there?" He asked, abruptly changing subject with a nod of his head at the wall Kei was sitting closest to. Kei glanced over his shoulder, hearing a soft groan.

"Talking," he lied and looked back at Sho. "I can hear them."

Sho stared at him suspiciously. Kei sighed and rolled his eyes.

"After what he just told us you're still going to get upset about that?" Kei questioned exasperatedly. Sho just scowled.

"If he hurts him… I'll kill him," Sho murmured threateningly. Kei had to smile at that, quickly hiding it a second later as Sho focused on it in a millisecond and smirked smugly. Kei raised a disapproving eyebrow at him.

"Don't give me that look," Sho said indignantly. "You don't like him either."

"Only because he's too protective of David," Kei muttered, staring down the ashtray as he thought of the blonde half-vamp. It sounded almost hypocritical of him though, when he had thought about locking the teen away in an ivory tower like in a fairy tale.

"And too possessive," Sho added, examining the barely burning cherry of his cigarette.

"We can't really get after him about that though. It's the vampire in him. He can't help it," Kei stated and stood up, going to the sink for a drink of water.

"Maybe… But have you noticed how David just… submits to him?" Sho inquired, awkwardness bubbling in his throat as he knew how _wrong_ that sentence would sound. "He's controlling."

Kei frowned and considered this as he drank from the flow of water coming from the faucet.

Lindsay _was_ almost controlling when it came to David. It wasn't that he ordered the smaller teen around or threatened him or abused him or anything but David seemed ready to jump before Lindsay even thought of saying it. And considering what David had just told them, _that_ was a bit disconcerting.

The memory of Lindsay's first night in their flat flashed through Kei's mind and David had been the one threatening and abusing Lindsay - smacking the blonde and pulling his hair. David had his own control when he wanted it.

So then again, maybe not. It was probably that whole "Lindsay was in command only because David let him" thing that Kei had considered before.

"Want to sit him down for a nice chat later?" Sho questioned after continued silence on Kei's end, speaking as though he were inquiring about a having a picnic on the beach tomorrow.

He was imagining pinning Lindsay to a wall with the barrel of a gun pressed threateningly to his chest. Kei straightened from drinking from the faucet, wiping the corner of his mouth on his sleeve. He looked at Sho like the other man had grown another head.

Then he shrugged.

"Why not," he stated nonchalantly and exited the kitchen, leaving Sho to plot.

* * *

About an hour later, when David was asleep in his room and Lindsay was in the kitchen grabbing a soda from the fridge, the blonde teen turned around after retrieving a can of the carbonated drink and found the tall man with braids standing intimidatingly close to him with his arms crossed. Kei was leaning comfortably against the wall to Lindsay's left, closest one to the doorway.

"Hey," Lindsay said casually but sounding more like he was asking 'What the fuck do you want?'

"Have a seat," Sho ordered disguised as a suggestion, gesturing stiffly at the kitchen table. "We'd like to talk to you."

Lindsay glanced between the two, meeting Sho's steely eyes and studying Kei's indifferent expression. He stepped around Sho then and sat at the table, placing the can of soda directly in front of him on the table.

Kei moved around to occupy another of the chairs, maybe trying to show he was on equal ground, a mediator perhaps. Sho on the other hand, just stood immobile, oddly close to Lindsay, cutting an impressive figure with his arms crossed and his expression ever-cold toward the teen.

"First things first," Sho began, his deep voice intimidatingly hostile. "Hurt him, in any way, and I'll kill you."

Lindsay snorted.

"You'll have to fight Gabe for that right," he said tauntingly. Sho's steel blue eyes narrowed. "And what do you think you are, his father?"

"I might as well be," Sho growled and Lindsay scoffed.

"David's never had parents and he doesn't need them. He has a family, and it's not you," _(not yet)_ Lindsay retorted quietly, maliciously. He knew he was fishing but he was aiming to hurt, and that's how you do that. You fish for a tender spot in the flesh of one's mind or heart and then you strike. Verbal spats with David had taught him that verbal stings hurt just as much as physical blows. And about David, Lindsay knew that his short lover was attached to the two men he was living with but that didn't mean Lindsay was going to just accept them messing with everything since David let them in.

"He's done just fine without you."

Kei stiffened, feeling a stab of pain in his chest and from the way Sho had tensed he guessed the tall man felt the same, and the vampire believed they were in complete agreement, wanting nothing more than to just hit the insolent ass that was David's boyfriend. And Kei considered for a moment that maybe it hurt so much because it was true, and Kei had been harboring this nagging wish in the back of his mind to have been there for/with the colorful little teen before.

Kei decided it was time for a topic change.

"David didn't tell us but were you ever part of the brothels?" Kei asked, trying to keep his voice even.

Lindsay glared at Sho a second longer before turning on Kei with calculating green eyes.

"No," the younger blond said slowly. "I found out about them through Shizuka and joined their little organization out of rage. My mother had been human and my father a vampire and both died when I was twelve. I was lucky to not have been picked up by the sick fucks after that. I wanted to fuck them over, bring them down," Lindsay spat in detestation.

"At least we can all agree on something," Sho murmured. Kei glanced at him questioningly and Sho caught his gaze. "Those guys were sick fucks indeed."

"Was that all you needed to say?" Lindsay asked, obviously wanting their small confrontation to be over.

"What was that thing you did to David when he was having that nightmare?" Kei blurted as Sho opened him mouth to dismiss the blonde teen. "Why'd you do it?"

"The tickling? Well, it's not really tickling considering only David's thighs are ticklish. He just calls it that. But anyway, I did it because it calms him down. It's like a sedative for him, especially if you do it to his back. Same with brushing his hair…" Lindsay explained, staring at Kei with his brow furrowed in confusion like the vampire had asked him if mixing red and blue made seven.*

Lindsay's explanation made Kei imagine a much younger David without colorful hair curled up on his side, sucking his thumb like kids sometimes do, as a hand gently rubbed and stroked his back with fingertips. A certain fondness for the thought warmed Kei from the inside and he had to resist the urge to smile.

"I'm assuming from the sudden silence that we're done," Lindsay said and stood up, soda in hand. When neither Sho nor Kei protested, instead just watching him closely, he turned and made to leave the kitchen. He paused mid-step though and turned back toward them with darker green eyes.

"The same goes for you two," he said forbiddingly.

"The same what?" Sho questioned with a glare.

"Threat," Lindsay stated. "Don't hurt him."

And with that he spun back around and left the kitchen, disappearing into David's room by the click of the door as it closed gently.

"I definitely don't like him," Sho growled and Kei raised a doubting eyebrow at him.

"You keep saying that and I'm not going to believe you anymore," the blonde vampire said, voice full of amusement, and received a disapproving glare from the man with braids.

* * *

The next morning, early-early in the day so it was around nine, Lindsay and David dressed, grabbed David's wallet, picked up their shoes, and snuck out of the house, running off down the street after shoving their shoes on just outside the front door of the apartment.

An hour and a half later Kei woke up after a nightmare he couldn't remember and could tell there was something not right in the apartment. When his mind was fully alert he knew, without even having to go down the hall and open the door to check, that it was David and Lindsay missing.

He didn't even have to wonder about where they went or for why. He'd been expecting it. Beyond suspecting where they'd gone though or for why, Kei didn't think anymore on it. It was too early to consider how Sho might react or maybe if they should punish David - ground him maybe? ha - or what the short teen and his blonde boyfriend were doing. The last one was just too _wrong_ to think about. Kei didn't very much like the equation "David+Lindsay+alone=sex." But he guessed he'd just have to live with it.

The vampire was sipping on a bottle of blood with a label in black Sharpie declaring "DRINK ME" in bold letters when Sho stumbled from his room at noon, looking every bit barely awake. His short hair stuck up in odd directions and his braids were down. All the man wore was a pair of thin cotton pajama pants and Kei averted his gaze from deliciously tan skin.

The man stumbled over to the coffee Kei had prepared in the pot on the counter and he poured himself a mug of the liquid, gulping down half of its contents with a grimace before adding more to the cup and dumping in some sugar. He plopped down at the table across from Kei and stirred his coffee, barely seeing the cup in front of him. He sipped the hot drink, enjoying it's taste this time.

"They're gone aren't they," Sho stated.

"Mhm," Kei confirmed, lifting the bottle of blood to his lips.

"And they're probably…" Sho said, trailing off dazedly in displeasure.

"Yep," Kei said, staring at the fridge. Sho grunted.

"Is that… blood?" He asked after a moment, staring at the bottle Kei was holding. Kei looked the bottle too.

"Yea," he said and took a drink from it.

"…When was the last time you fed?"

"Don't know."

"And David left that?"

"Yep."

"That would explain it."

"Mmh."

Noon rolled by and found Sho eating chinese food on the couch while Kei tried to play one of David's video games as per Sho's insistence. The annoying, depressing game-over theme played as Kei's character fell onto his face and the screen faded to black, displaying the words "game over." The game asked Kei if he would like to save and keep playing. He hit "yes."

"That's the eleventh time you died," Sho stated and set his food back on the table. "Let me try."

Kei jerked the controller away from Sho's hand causing the man to lean farther over the blond to grab at it. Kei's cheeks warmed but he ignored it in favor of keeping the controller from Sho.

The front door slammed open and David strode in with a guitar case over his shoulder, Lindsay following behind. Both abruptly stopped and stared at the two.

"I can say I'm honestly disappointed," David said, surveying the two. "I expected more than just an awkwardly sexual-appearing struggle over an object."

Sho looked at Kei who wasn't looking at him and promptly jumped up, realizing how one of his hands was dangerously close to Kei's hip and he was laying on the vampire very… inappropriately. David rolled his eyes at the blushing men. Behind him Lindsay was smirking smugly, payback gleaming in his green eyes.

"Where were you?" Sho demanded as David went to the chair next to the couch and sat down, setting his guitar next to him.

"Out," David answered, unzipping the guitar case. "We saw Gabe."

And he slid a shiny blue acoustic guitar from the case, his name in dark red calligraphy on the body. Upon closer inspection Sho was able to see little shells cut up and carefully inlaid into the wood and painted over with a clear, red acrylic to give the letters texture. The instrument looked oddly familiar.

"Have I seen that befo…" Sho started to ask but trailed off as his eyes widened with realization. "That was _your_ guitar in Gabe's urn?"

"Yeah," David said, setting the instrument comfortably on his thigh. "It has my name on it, doesn't it? It's my baby."

"Why was it in The Urn?" Sho asked incredulously, not understanding why David would leave something so precious in such a terrible place.

"The glockenspiels keep it in good shape, since it is the idol of their patron goddess," David explained, idly plucking the strings from E up. "They keep the strings new and tuned. And I never have to worry about scratches or cracks or polishing cuz they keep it good as new."

Just then Lindsay reappeared from where he'd disappeared inside David's room wearing a different pair of clothes, a more neat pair from the ones he'd had on before. The large hickey on his neck under his ear was oddly more visible because of this and it caught Sho's immediate attention. He turned toward David and noticed a purple bite on his neck and two more red hickeys around his collarbone. He almost gaped like a fish.

Then Lindsay came over and dropped an affectionate kiss to David's shoulder, the teen pressing his wrist against the vibrating strings of his guitar as he turned his head to catch his boyfriend's lips.

"I'll be back later," Lindsay breathed when they parted, David humming in acknowledgment. Then he straightened and made his way out the front door.

Kei grabbed Sho's t-shirt and yanked the man back onto the couch.

"Stop gaping like an attractive fish," he ordered and Sho snapped his mouth shut.

Then he frowned.

"Wait, did you just say attractive?"

David snickered quietly and went back to his nonsensical strumming, plucking strings randomly and playing bits and pieces of different songs.

* * *

"I'm going over to Son and Yi-Che's," Sho announced as he exited his room wearing a casual button up white shirt and his favorite leather pants. Kei was laying on the couch, staring at the tv mindlessly as David played video games. He pulled his gaze from it and instead looked at Sho appraisingly, the man never noticing as he was too busy fixing his cuffs. David nudged Kei's foot with his own that he propped on the couch to keep his slouched position in his chair.

"Have fun," Kei said and returned his gaze to the colorful flashing of the television. David huffed and paused the game. He turned his head just in time to see Sho disappearing out the front door, leaving his favorite white coat on its hook.

"You're going to lose him if you don't _do_ something," David stated, shifting so he was sitting straighter. He shut down the video game and turned off the tv, tossing the controllers on the coffee table.

"I'm not going to do anything, David," Kei said and sat up too. "He needs to live his life without me-"

"So it's easier for you to leave him? To kill yourself?" David said accusingly, glaring at the blonde vampire.

"This is a curse, David-"

"An evolution. It happens."

"If I took him as my mate, he'd have to be changed-"

"And that's a problem? And not necessarily. Lindsay's mother was human-"

"Both his parents ended up dead. Inevitably. Dead. …Besides, he doesn't want me-"

"Oh yes he does. He just doesn't know it."

"_How_ is that even possible?"

"He looks at you like a schoolgirl stares at a crush. He just doesn't know he's crushing on you because he's never allowed you to be a possibility. It's a closed door he doesn't notice because he doesn't wonder about what's on the other side. So he pursues the next best thing."

"And you know so much about this because…?"

"Humans fascinate me. I study them often."

"You're ridiculous."

"You're impossible to argue with."

"I try."

And with that Kei angrily stood, leaving the room for the bathroom, not closing the door entirely behind him on accident.

David huffed, flopping back in his chair. After a moment of eyeing his guitar he picked it up and laid it across his lap, humming a soft tune as he did. His fingers found the strings and he pressed down on familiar frets, the fingertips of his other hand idly plucking out quiet notes. He concentrated hard as he played, pausing now and then with a frown as though trying to remember the next part of the song before he continued. Sometimes he'd play a note and pause moving his finger to another string or a different fret before trying again until he was satisfied with the sound.

Then he started at the beginning again, playing the song all the way through and again without stopping. On the third time through he started to hum softly, the guitar acting as an accompaniment to his lullaby-like humming.

In the bathroom Kei paused in the action of cupping his hands under the running water from the faucet and stared into the mirror reflecting the partially open door to his left. He twisted the water off and only listened to David's playing. Soon he found himself humming along, followed by breathed words-

"-kimi to mita…"

-at which point he caught himself and inhaled sharply as nausea bubbled in his stomach and his brain spun around in his skull while his head filled with helium.

He flung the door open and stomped out into the living room, his hands clenched at his sides.

"Where'd you learn that?" He demanded, his voice sounding unprovokedly harsh to his own ears.

David jumped and his closed eyes snapped open, his playing and humming abruptly stopping. He stared up at Kei with frightened eyes.

"I've known it. I used to hum it at night when I was stuck in the brothels still," he said defensively, not understanding Kei's hostility. "I've always known it. The guitar part I did myself after I learned how to play, though."

Kei's vision swam and extreme vertigo took hold of his senses, forcing acrid bile up his esophagus.

"Oh my god," he breathed, stumbling to the couch and practically collapsing onto it. The cotton in his ears prevented him from hearing David worriedly trying to get him to respond to his name.

* * *

* - It clearly doesn't because eleven is blue and fourteen is red and there's no way you can make that seven - numerically or color-wise since seven is a grass green so it just wouldn't work at all. (I have ordinal linguistic personification, where numbers and letters feel a certain way. I don't actually _see_ seven as grass green. Or eleven and fourteen as blue and red respectively. ….Don't question me!)

* * *

**Jaded's after-words:** oh wow...

XD reviews plox ne?


	16. Revelations

**Chapter Title: **Revelations

**Rating:** _PG-13_/R

**Chapter:** 14/~20-something-ish?

**Warnings: **mentions of male-pregnancy, language-ish, ish, drama, cuddling, …,

**Disclaimer:** Gackt owns Moon Child. (Doesn't that mean he owns Kei too?)

**Pairings:** ** SLIGHT **Sho/Yi-Che, mentions of Luka/Kei

**Jaded's fore-words: **So I feel this chapter is pretty lame. But I'm always up to be proven wrong *eh eh? nudge* kidding! I'm not fishing for compliments, no~! **Satchi**, sadly there is little Lindsay to hate in this chapter. (Thought there will be plenty to hate on next chapter.) But I'm pretty sure you can have fun with his brief attitude. :) And we'll finally get the full David-Picture puzzled together with crazy glue. **Soubi**, you keep promising molestication and fanbearing, still I have yet to see large fanbears and displays of molestcation. I understand if life is roller-coastering its way around you and the bitches of life keep your attention. I'm just going to hold you to your word. ¬_¬ And possibly hold back on the mansmex when its time rolls around in this fic. D

_**To you Both**_, have fun with this weird chapter where Kei is weirdly affectionate and emotional and David is dramanized and Sho is about done with it all. (I'm almost sure he's plotting to kidnap Kei and take him to MT Everest where no one will find them or he's going to run off with Yi-Che in spite and have many babies with her in Canada. Why Canada, I don't know. MT Everest I get because it's big and intimidating and all tall and impossible and stuff. Canada... just confuses me.)

ONWARD WITH THE STOREH!

* * *

_The tiny little body of a tiny little boy swaddled in a sinfully-soft dark blue blanket cradled in Kei's arms, his lips pressed to the tiny little forehead. Another's hand cradling the top of the babe's fuzzy head while a hand rested on Kei's back._

_"Our beautiful Kiyoshi," Luka's voice breathed in his ear and Kei never before felt more joy or more love than in that moment holding his son._

…

_Wonderfully-warm brown eyes, japanese eyes, streaked with shards of green, staring up at him. They were eyes he'd seen in mirrors only and now under a fringe of black and above chubby cheeks and a tiny nose, they never looked more beautiful. Kiyoshi giggled happily from where he was laying in Kei's lap waving his arms about, all gums in his smile. Kei smiled down at him and he popped his thumb into his mouth, going back to staring at Kei in wonder._

…

_Luka sleeping on his back on the mattress of their rundown, illegal loft, and Kiyoshi laying on his back on the vampire's chest. One of Luka's hands placed over the infant's stomach for assurance and protection._

…

_Kiyoshi as a toddler, held in his arms and zipped in his jacket with him, asleep with his head on Kei's shoulder as he walked around Mallepa at night with Luka, a tiny little black hat keeping the child's head warm in the cool air._

"…!"

_Kei laying on his side curled as close to Luka as possible with Kiyoshi already sleeping between them, their fingers interlocked over their son's side._

"…ei!"

_Small toddler hands curled in Kei's shirt, his arms wrapped around Kiyoshi as the child whispered "I love you, Daddy" in that endearing, heartfelt way only a child can accomplish. Kei's heart wanted to explode in his chest and he hugged his son closer._

"KEI!"

_"Where's Kiyoshi?" Kei questioned frantically, his voice bordering on panicked as he was not seeing his baby anywhere. "__**Where's **__Kiyoshi?"_

_Next to him Luka was just as crazed, having been on the other side of the small playground, watching their son play when he'd taken off with a laugh in Kei's direction. Kei hadn't been able to see him. Luka was supposed to be watching him. He felt horrible._

_"Kiyoshi?" Luka called, taking off around one side of the playground. Nowhere could he see his son. Kei __**was**__ panicking now, jogging in the other direction, looking around the playground and scanning the surrounding few families with their children playing, calling his son's name._

_Nothing._

_"Kei," Luka called apprehensively from nearby and the blonde vampire ran to him. In his shaking hands was a white cloth that was rank with the sweet stench of chloroform. Kei's insides boiled and burned, countered only by frigid fear._

"Oh jeezus, Kei, you're really fucking scaring me! Respond! Please!" David cried, snapping his fingers desperately in front of Kei's face.

Kei gasped, realizing he was sitting on the floor in front of the couch, having slid to it when he was lost to the conscious world. David was kneeling in front of him, one hand on his shoulder and the other hovering in front of his face but not snapping anymore.

Without a word, Kei grabbed him and jerked him into his arms, crushing him in his embrace, never wanting to let go as too many years of suppressed pain rolled through every cell in his body, causing his nerves to quake viscously with the deep aches and stings of loss. Distantly he felt David's arms tentatively wrap around him, returning the hug as Kei practically pulled him into his lap. Not even knowing he was doing it, Kei brokenly sobbed into David's shoulder, shaking. He could feel the complete and utter confusion emitted from David as Kei clung onto him as though he were life itself.

David held him without a word uttered, one of his hands rubbing his neck soothingly. There was nothing more he knew he could do other than that. He had absolutely no clue as to why the blonde vampire was nearly dying in his arms, shuddering with his sobs and tightly holding onto him like the world's destruction was imminent.

And so they remained like that until Kei's tears were dry and his grip on David slackened. One of his hands slid up into the teen's hair and he straightened with a trembling sigh, pressing his tearstained face into David's black hair and emitting a hushed, dry sob.

"Kei," David whispered hesitantly. "Are you okay, Kei?"

Kei chuckled dryly and pulled back, scrutinizing David's eyes.

"Probably not," Kei said hoarsely, his voice thick from crying. He smiled and pressed his forehead to David's, closing his eyes.

"What… What's going on, Kei?" David questioned, concern seeping from his pores.

"I just realized," Kei breathed, still smiling. "That you're my son."

"…What?" David said and jerked back, looking at Kei like he suddenly had a third eye, an extra head, six arms, a siamese twin - who was evil, and a horn for a nose. "My parents are dead."

A note of anxiety had crept into his voice.

"Luka is dead," Kei said, gazing into eyes that resembled his own with sunlight-serious conviction. "Your father is dead."

His hand unconsciously tightened their grip on David as he feared the small teen would bolt.

"No," David asserted with utterly unshakeable bite to his tone. "Gabe told me they committed suicide-"

"He did," Kei interrupted, silently begging for David to believe him, to not push him away and flee like he could feel the teen tensed and wanting to.

"Gabe doesn't lie to me!" David cried, thoroughly panicked, his eyes flickering up to reveal crestfallen depths. Kei's immediate reaction was to pull David to his chest and hold him comfortingly in his arms, and David let him for the length of a faint cry. Then he was roughly wrenching himself free from Kei's arms, scooting back like a cornered animal would.

"She wouldn't- You're not-" He started to say, silent tears slipping down his face. "You can't- You can't be-!"

He choked, not able to say the words. And Kei wanted nothing more than to hold David again and take away his fear and his doubt and his sadness and his pain. In the back of his mind he wondered almost accusingly why Gabe hadn't told David.

"David-" Kei tried but his son - yes David was his son, he knew without a doubt - scrambled to his feet and flew to the door, yanking it open, nearly breaking the handle in the process. He pushed past Lindsay, who jumped back completely startled, and took off down the street barefoot, ignoring his boyfriend's bewildered call of his name.

Kei made to follow him but was stopped by Lindsay grabbing his shirt, nearly tearing it.

"What did you do?" He growled at Kei menacingly. Kei glared at him and twisted his hand free from his shirt.

But the vampire wasn't able to say anything, too guilty for forgetting and too pained to snap at the younger blonde and too worried-sick-tired to explain.

He just covered his eyes with one of his hands and leaned against the doorframe, letting gravity take over and slide him down the wall.

* * *

"Why?" He demanded upon the door opening to reveal it was indeed her on the other side.

"I didn't want to hurt-"

"Bullshit!" He spat, shoving his way past her.

"Alright," she sighed. "I was being purely selfish. I didn't want to give you a reason to leave. You're my closest friend and I didn't want you to run off looking for him when you had me and Max and Lindsay."

"And after he found me? What then? I had already found him, what-"

"I didn't want you to stay with them. I didn't want you to forget about me because you had them." She pressed, gesturing toward where the topic of conversation's apartment resided.

"And how the hell could I ever forget about you?" He whispered furiously, hurt that his friend would think his so disregarding. "Who the fuck stayed up with me when I was broken and exhausted, feeding me so I could heal, humming the song from the past I couldn't remember? Not them. Not him. You know better than I do that you could never be replaced in my life."

"I'm still human, you ass!"

"Well, mostly… And I know. I wouldn't have let you so close without what makes you so humanly-you."

"I know," she said quietly in the aftermath of their outbursts.

"I don't know how you couldn't. You're absolutely omniscient."

"Doesn't mean I always use my omniscience."

"I know. You feel it makes you less of a person and takes the mystery from life. You've mentioned this before."

"Can it."

"I love you buddeh."

"I love you too frend."

"Good. So… we're good and… uh… So like… Kei? Really?"

"Yeah."

"Wow."

"Mhm."

* * *

Sho climbed the stairs to the flat he shared with three other males currently, his step a kind of bouncy after a nice dinner out with Yi-Che and Son, as just friends. Personally he'd rather it'd just been him and Yi-Che, but he could tell Son was a protective older brother and his recent encounters with David and _his_ boyfriend made him more sympathetic toward Son's position. So he'd show Son he wasn't going to break her heart or hurt her.

Yi-Che was pretty and Sho could admit that he liked her, a lot. She was wonderfully pretty and her eyes were simply amazing, always full of emotion. He tried to woo her the other day with a bouquet of flowers but he had to discard them since Toshi was an unexpected appearance and Sho didn't wish to be teased about his …crush-devolping-into-more for the rest of his life.

He opened the door and his smile fell to the floor and landed with a soundless _schlop_. Kei was sitting on his daybed with an ashtray overflowing with cigarette butts near his foot as he smoked through another pack and the floor received his full, brooding attention. Lindsay sat on the couch, arms crossed over his chest as he reclined and maliciously stared Kei's oblivious form down. Suspicion was sharp in his bright green eyes.

David was nowhere and tension was thick in the air.

"Where's David?" He asked and both blonde's gazes snapped to him, Lindsay seeming a bit surprised and disappointed while it took Kei several long moments filled with blinking to banish the gloss to his eyes.

"He ran off," Kei said barely audibly in a hoarse voice. He heaved in a breath as though air were molasses. "…A while ago…"

"Why?" Sho asked, remembering to close the door.

"Because apparently your lover over there is his dad and David obviously didn't take the news well," Lindsay spat, disgruntled.

"He's your son!" Sho cried, his eyes nearly popping out of his head. He totally missed the reference to Kei being his lover in favor of the more pressing news.

Kei nodded and Sho felt the desperate need to sit down before he passed out cold, his stomach filling with ice.

"Oh god," he groaned, dropping into the chair where David's guitar was laying forgotten near it. His head fell backward onto the back of the armchair. "This is all too-fucking-much. Maybe a month ago we found him and then he's living with us and his friend shows up and then his boyfriend is molesting him on the couch and then he tells us he was forced to be a child prostitute and now _THIS_! It's just too much in too little time! You're sure he's your _son_, Kei?"

"Positive," Kei murmured with a grimace at Sho's reaction to the news. "He- He knew the song Luka used to sing."

"The one from... your dreams?"

"Yeah," Kei breathed and lowered his gaze back to the floor.

"Well, fuck," Sho muttered and sighed out all the air in his entire _body,_ deflating into the chair.

* * *

Upon entering, the first thing David heard was his name, right before his sight was obscured. Arms wrapped around him tightly and crushed his face into a soft, black t-shirt covering a well muscled chest. Dazedly he raised his arms and hesitantly returned the hug.

"Hey, Sho," David muttered quietly, his voice a bit scratchy from disuse. The arms around him tightened for a moment.

"Don't scare us like that," Sho said with his head bowed. "Why didn't you come home?"

David frowned confusedly. Sho's fingers slipped into his hair and David let his head be tilted back so his forehead could receive a relieved kiss.

"You had Kei in a panic with worry."

David blinked a couple times in confusion again. He hadn't been gone that long had he? Well, maybe he had but it hadn't seemed like long. The sun rising as he trudged toward the apartment had come as a surprise and he'd wondered when dawn had snuck up on him again. But that wasn't too long, was it? It'd been dark when he'd left, when he'd been with Gabe. It was only a couple hours, right?

"David?" Kei said as he stepped out of the teen's room, pulling the door closed behind him. David randomly noticed that Kei was wearing different, more comfortable clothing. Sho was too.

"You were in my room?" David blurted out without a thought. And he wondered if he really cared at all.

"Yeah I- …It was…" Kei fumbled about with a blush, embarrassed. "I felt like if you were gone, that you might not come back. Uh, the stuff in there… reminded me that you had a reason- …That you would come back."

David stepped back from Sho and the man's arms slid from him as he let his own fall to his sides. The teen walked over to Kei and hugged him, pressing close to him like a child seeking comfort. Kei returned the embrace enthusiastically in relief, pressing his face into David's hair and practically crushing the teen to him.

"I'm sorry for running and scaring you," David said into Kei's shirt, his voice timid and muffled. "I just needed to talk to Gabe. I needed to get away and think."

"I get it," Kei whispered, his breath ruffling David's hair. Sho cleared his throat and Kei raised his head to look at him.

"I'm going to sleep now, since he's back," Sho said and Kei nodded understandingly. Sho smiled before heading down the hall to his room, his door closing a moment later.

"Kei," David uttered quietly into the vampire's shirt.

"Mmh?"

"What was Luka like?"

Kei smiled into David's hair before standing up straight and turning David around, ushering him to his bed. He motioned for David to sit and make himself comfortable while he did for himself.

"If we're going to have a conversation like this, we might as well be sitting," Kei said with a goofy grin as he arranged himself so he was sitting cross-legged near the pillow on the bed. David nodded and sat close to him, also cross-legged.

"Well," Kei began. "Luka brooded a lot, especially about being a vampire. He didn't enjoy it. But then again he didn't not enjoy it either. He was my mentor when I was first turned and later my lover."

"Do you have a vampire-bite?"

"No, we weren't mates through that. We created the bond by exchanging blood. That was how it was to be with us. …We lived in Japan until the economy collapsed, also around the time I became pregnant. …With you. We got out of there fast, since by then, people were catching on to what we were. Luka wanted to find somewhere calm with a lot of people. He wanted us all safe. And when you were born, Luka became extremely protective. We were living here so it was completely understandable."

"So I was born in Mallepa?" David asked quietly, scooting closer.

"Yes. We were aiming for inland China, since we heard there were stable cities near the border because there was a lot of trade there, but I started to get sick during the pregnancy and we had to stop here. Luka wanted to leave as soon as you were born but you were so small I feared traveling far for long hours would harm you and possibly kill you if something happened. We had to alternate between bottles of formula and blood every day to keep you healthy. I was so afraid something might happen and you'd starve. He did too, but he feared Mallepa hurting you more than that. He wanted to risk it if it meant we'd be safe and out of Mallepa."

Kei sighed and smiled melancholically as he seemed to remember something deeply saddening.

"Maybe I should have listened to him and taken the risk. Maybe then you wouldn't have been taken from us. …Maybe then you wouldn't have had to-"

"Don't," David interrupted him and laid down with his head in Kei's lap. "Just- Keep talking about Luka and you and… me."

"Okay," Kei whispered and ran his fingers through David's pink hair as he continued. "We decided that we'd leave when you were five, so we found some illegal loft housing and claimed a loft as ours. It was just concrete and dust with showers and a toilet and a sink in the corner. We didn't have much in it, our only furniture was a mattress and a table with some chairs and a shelf for your baby things. It didn't matter too much since we spent our nights outside and slept most of the day."

"What was my name?"

"Kiyoshi."

"…pure…." David murmured and turned his face into Kei's leg. After a deep sigh he rolled over so he was on his other side.

"And how were we… separated?"

"We were at a park one evening and Luka was on one side of the playground with you and I was on the other. You ran off and Luka lost sight of you for a couple seconds before going after you. That was all it took. We found a cloth that smelled of chloroform. You'd been taken from us. We searched for so long for you. Luka hated himself so much for losing you. Everyday he'd tell me we'd find you, and he was determined to. Right up until he just pulled away from me and gave up a week before he died."

Kei sighed heavily, his hand stopping its repetitive motions in David's hair. David took a deep breath and sat up, rearranging himself so he was laying next to Kei, facing the vampire's leg.

"That song I was playing… The one I remember… What was it?" David tentatively asked, index finger and thumb fidgeting with the material of Kei's pants.

"Luka's song. He used to sing it all the time. It sort of became a lullaby for you, since whenever he sang it you calmed right down and went to sleep," Kei said with a smile and reached out with his hand, trailing his fingers over David's back. David breathed in deeply, letting it out in a relaxed sigh as his eyes fluttered shut.

"_Yuugure ni~,_" Kei sang softly, tickling David's back. "_-kimi to mita~_"

He paused in the song, shifting to lay down next to David before continuing the motion of his hand and the song.

"_Orenji no taiyou~ nakisou na~_"

David's breathing was even and his entire body was relaxed next to Kei. Kei chuckled to himself, wondering at how David had fallen asleep just like he would as a baby. Kei's baby Kiyoshi.

"_Kao wo shite~_"

Except now he wasn't a baby and he wasn't Kiyoshi. Now he'd lived for almost fourteen years without Kei. He'd grown up quickly. He'd developed a personality away from what he had as three-year-old Kiyoshi. He'd become David.

"_Eien no~ Sayonara~ _…"

He was still Kei's son though. Kei's baby.

Kei wrapped his arm around David and smiled, closing his eyes with a happy sigh.

Some of that lingering pain he'd never been able to explain, some of that unexplainably bitter self-loathing he'd clumped in with his vampirism, was gone, fading away as his consciousness did. David was here. Kiyoshi was David. Kiyoshi was safe as David here with Kei and Sho. Kei wouldn't lose him again.

He drifted in inky darkness as he slept that night, free of nightmares.

* * *

**Jaded's after-words:** The ending was laa~ame! After David ran I kind of suffered a minor writer's block. And now my mind is blank as to what should happen next. I have a point H but I'm stuck on point F. I need to get some G action going on here. Speaking of G, I'm learning to play guitar. This makes me happy en mis pantelones. I laughed when the teacher said G-string though. My mind is childish and in the gutter. In other guitar-related news, I'm getting a callus on the tip of my index finger. This makes me smile. Although my middle and ring finger have yet to develop any even though I use them just as much. :( The side of my thumb on my other hand is slowly getting one too. :) I feel special cuz I'm learnin' to play an instrument!

By the way, this is my official threat to _Satchi_. **Satchi**, if you don't update your fics for your friends and get motivated (damnit!) and type something then I shall not post another chapter till you do!. (This works well for me since I'm hitting the block. I need a soldering iron. :/ Hmm…)

So that is all. I guess. By the BYE.


	17. Plotting Without Plans

**Chapter Title: **Plotting Without Plans

**Rating:** _PG-15_/R

**Chapter:** 15/20-something-ish or 30-something-ish ?

**Warnings: **fillery, language, mature situations… etc, paintball, guns, asshole and fuck, alcohol… nothing new right? well, except the paintballs...

**Disclaimer:** Gackt owns Moon Child. (Doesn't that mean he owns Kei too?)

**Pairings:** Lindsay/David, plotting of Kei/Sho, random Kei/ImaginaryGirlfriend

**Jaded's fore-words: **I know I threatened Satchi but I couldn't help to post this. Because, now, after this, I really AM hitting a block. And I desperately need a soldering iron to burn it with! XD So enjoy. Hate on Lindsay all you wish, laugh at David and Gabe, be glad about the Sho and Kei and Toshi interactions... etc etc have fun and read. XD **  
**

* * *

Deja vu was what Sho was seeing in front of him when he woke up late in the afternoon and left his bedroom. Kei was laying on his daybed, sound asleep on his back with David curled against him, one hand fisting his shirt like a child holding a safety blanket. His knees were pulled up against Kei's side again and his face was pressed into Kei's shoulder as he snored softly. Sho raised an eyebrow and felt the same urge to take a picture as he had the first time, the only difference was last time he wanted to do it to annoy Kei and this time he wanted to do it because it was a pretty endearing picture. And David was Kei's son. IT WAS ADORABLE OKAY? You just be quiet. (Who the hell was he talking to? Thinking to? Himself again?)

He glanced at Lindsay, still asleep on the couch from when he'd passed out cold about an hour before David came home that morning. Sho glared at the unconscious almost-adult. He really didn't like Lindsay. And last night hadn't made him like him any bit more. Lindsay should have gone after David, looked for him, something. He should have been more worried, goddammit!

Instead the young blonde had just changed clothes and laid on the couch watching tv mindlessly. Sure he'd glance at the door every now and then, but never once did he fidget or pace or even speak about David running away, BAREFOOT FOR GODS SAKE!

Still sleeping, Kei sighed and rolled a little so he was facing David slightly more. Sho desperately wanted a camera.

He found one in David's room. A cheap disposable one with ten pictures left.

And then he took a picture.

And he smiled deviously.

Then he put the camera back and went back to bed, planning on catching some more z's before everyone else discovered the land of the conscious again.

* * *

Steam rolled through the room like incense smoke and slowly fogged the mirror, laying heavy condensation on its surface. The distinctive sound of water splashing into a pool of more bounced off the walls and ceiling of the bathroom as the bathtub filled with too-hot water. On the counter across the room David's laptop played soft instrumental music, permeating the air with the tinkling of chimes and soft, low piano notes intermingling with the gentle guitar picking.

David let out a long breath in a hiss as he slipped into the tub full of hot water.

He leaned against the back of the bathtub and stretched his legs out, relaxing and taking deep breaths. And with every breath he let out he slid further into the water, until he took a deep breath and held it, submerging his head under the hot water. He waited for his ears to fill with water and he registered the sound of the tub continuing to fill, warped were the sounds of the water and the pipes behind the walls. Bubbles of air slipped from between his lips and popped once they hit the surface of the water.

David sat up suddenly with the crash of water hitting water and reached out, blindly turning off the hot water with a flick of his wrist and the splash ceased to sound. In the sudden silence the drip-drop of the water falling from his hair back to the pool below was oddly too loud.

So he pulled his knees up, smoothed his wet hair back, thin rivulets of the warm, clear liquid trailing down his back as he wrapped one arm around his knees, placed his forehead onto his kneecaps, and he closed his eyes to do exactly what he'd gotten in the bath to do. He thought. He focused on one thing and pondered loosely about it. He thought about Kei… and then Sho.

He thought about Kei being his father, which made sense because the previously blurred memory he kept secretly hidden in his head was suddenly clear, colors becoming images, images of Kei with slightly longer hair than he has now laughing and sitting next to a taller man with dark hair and dark eyes and a stern face broken by a smile. Kei and Luka, daddy and _**?tousan?**_. Kei is his dad. How odd. How funny. How much David wanted to laugh at the peculiarity of being found so randomly by his dad who he'd known without doubt to be dead previously. The dad that gave birth to him, since vampires were special like that.

And Kei was in-love-in-denial with Sho, who was in-love-oblivious with Kei. Both were stubborn. Maybe he should hook them up…? Push them together somehow…? They were practically together anyway, excluding the fucking. They sure acted like it sometimes. Especially concerning him, David. Well, especially concerning himself and really Lindsay. Very much acting like his protective parents. They didn't like his boyfriend. He knew it for fact. Sho in particular hated him. Kei gave Lindsay a chance, was trying to be lenient, even when David could see the blonde vampire would like nothing more than to chop off Lindsay's hands or dick or head or something. It had the potential to be amusing, though. …It would have been too, if David's vampire-brand (as he liked to sometimes refer to it as, since it burned when it acted up) hadn't been annoying the hell out of him before Lindsay appeared. It was torture not to just jump him as soon as he saw him, odd-strangely-sexy pirate costume and all. Then Sho was all paternal and shit, being all fatherly when it was basically the worst possible time to.

But it was okay now. The red had faded. His love-bite was a light pink again. The edges could barely be seen anymore. Lindsay had helped take care of that nuisance.

Speak (think) of the devil and he shall come.

There was quiet splashing behind David as another joined him in the bath. Legs slid up on either side of him as strong arms wrapped around his own, hands gripping his arms and hands as a chest briefly pressed to his back. Familiar lips descended onto his shoulder and lazy kisses were placed up his neck and down his spine and over to his mark. David sighed in contentment, enjoying the simple contact of his lover as he relaxed. Kei and Sho would never believe Lindsay could be so sexlessly vanilla. They both saw him as the guy just trying to get into his pants, the guy who saw him as nothing but an amusing possession. He could tell. David could see it in the way they looked at him or the way they disregarded him.

"What are you thinking about?" Lindsay said, barely producing sound at all as his voice was almost drowned out by the gentle music. And he propped his chin on David's shoulder.

Really, David had no clue what the fuck he'd do without Lindsay. Not because he was a constant in David's life but because no matter what happened, Lindsay was there behind him, backing him up, pulling him away from face planting when he tripped, urging him forward, keeping him grounded when he needed to be. Lindsay did a lot of things for David, some he didn't even know, some neither of them knew. They worked (most of the time) and that's all that mattered.

"You people," David muttered in answer to Lindsay's question.

"'You people?'" Lindsay repeated, a teasing lilt to his voice.

"Yep, and that's all you're getting out of me… for now," David mumbled into his knees jokingly sullen. Lindsay chuckled and sat back, tugging David with him.

"I'm fine with that… for now," he said, pulling David back against his chest, urging the smaller male to relax again since he was not liking the movement when he was comfortable before. One of his arms slid under David's and their hands clasped, his other arm going across the younger teen's stomach. David's free arm rested against the blonde's thigh and he sighed, leaning his head back onto Lindsay's shoulder.

Lindsay dropped a moist kiss onto his damp neck under his ear before leaning back and closing his eyes, copying David.

Neither of them moved for a long time. Long enough for the music David had playing to replay. Long enough for the bathwater to become lukewarm. Long enough for the steam in the air to disperse.

David shifted with a slow sigh and sat up, blinking his eyes blearily as he returned to the world of the aware. Behind him Lindsay grunted unhappily at the loss of body heat from his lover.

"Alright. I'll tell you now," David said as he reached into the water between his feet to pull the plug. There was a slurp of suction before the plug came loose and water gurgled down the drain.

"Then tell me," Lindsay said, sitting up and and pressing his forehead to the nape of David's neck.

"I was thinking about Kei and Sho, first about Kei being my dad and then about how Sho acts like he's my dad… And then about how I think they should be fucking by now and how have they not? I mean-"

"Are you looking for an excuse to meddle around?" Lindsay interrupted him teasingly and squeezed David's thigh behind his knee with his free hand. David squeaked and jerked, grabbing his wrist.

"Asshole," he muttered sullenly and jabbed his thumb into a tender spot between the bones of the blonde's wrist. Lindsay's hand jerked and he scowled, nipping David's bite. David dug his thumbnail into the sensitive area he was pressing into. Lindsay bit harder, not letting go. Neither was willing to give in.

David sighed tiredly and let go of Lindsay's wrist, prompting Lindsay to unclench his jaw and release the skin he'd been biting. He soothingly pressed his lips to the imprint, a silent cue for David to continue with what they were talking about, apologizing in its own way.

"I was thinking about you too," David murmured, knocking the plug back into the drain with his toes. He leaned back into Lindsay and kicked his foot up, twisting the hot water on violently before dropping his leg. Hot water splashed into the remaining lukewarm water, barely inches deep now. "I thought about how much I need you, how much I want you… …how much I love you."

Lindsay wrapped his arms around David and clutched their bodies close, his mouth pressing into David's shoulder as he listened.

"They really don't like you, you know." Lindsay smiled at that, and David smiled in turn, feeling Lindsay's smiling lips against his skin. "Sho _really_ doesn't like you. I think he hates you. Which I think is funny because we haven't even done anything _that bad_ in front of him… them. If they ever saw us… fight or when …you know… _Then_ they'd really hate you. But I honestly can't say I'd care. You… You're my mate Lindsay, and… it'd be impossible to be without you. I think that's the only reason they tolerate you. Because Kei knows what would happen…"

David let go of Lindsay's hand and Lindsay let him, loosening his hold on his younger lover, knowing David was pulling away from him, physically. David turned around, water swilling around him as he moved, and sat back against the opposite end of the bathtub, his shoulder under the faucet of hot water. It splashed quietly onto his shoulder and down his chest and back, turning his skin red where it touched.

"I really think we should hook them up, somehow…"

Lindsay gave him a _look,_ the one where he tilted his head slightly and glowered at him in a way that said he objected to David's plotting.

"Really! They belong together… I bet if Kei were in heat he'd be all over Sho. And I don't think Sho would mind one bit. If they just realized their feelings for each other Kei'd be in heat, Sho'd be bitten… _A~nd_, they'd stop bothering us."

Lindsay scowled. "It's not like we never have chances to be together now. We can leave the apartment if that were really a big problem. Like we left the other day."

"Stop pointing out the obvious and just let me attempt to persuade you," David growled with a glare.

"'Attempt' being the keyword."

David raised a displeased eyebrow.

"Fine. Meddle. Hook them up or whatever it is you want to do. But _don't_ include me, don't even ask me for any ideas."

"Killjoy," David muttered. Then he smiled deviously and pulled the plug, setting it on the soap ledge. As the water drained he reached around the faucet to the knob above it and he grabbed it, giving it a firm tug. With a splutter the water rerouted from the faucet to the shower and the spray shot down and hit Lindsay in the face. Lindsay closed his eyes against the onslaught of water. He calmly slid back out of the spray, leaning his back against the edge of the tub.

"That's not very nice," he said monotonously.

And then he pounced, shooting through the spray and grabbing David's arm, pulling the teen to him with a predatory grin as he wrapped his other arm around David to keep him pressed close. David grinned at him while the water drenched them in torrents.

"My dads would kill you if they knew what was going on in here," he said teasingly and Lindsay growled, leaning down to devour David's mouth with teeth and tongue for a full, breathless minute. When they parted, David's lips were bright red from their treatment and he panted softly, licking his lips. He opened his glazed eyes and stared heatedly at Lindsay.

"Good," Lindsay stated shortly and dipped back in for another taste of David's lips.

* * *

Meanwhile, at Happy Pizza…

"Whaaat~?" Toshi exclaimed, staring at Sho incredulously as he carried a pile of boxed pizzas to a couple customers waiting patiently for him to hand them over. The two, a man and a woman who looked like they were dating, each took half and left with a quiet thanks.

"Pinky is Kei's son?"

Kei nodded from his corner where he was lounging on a stool behind the counter. Sho was sitting on it, next to the register.

"How- How do you know? Blood test? Or-"

"He knew a song Kei's… girlfriend used to sing before she… died… in a car accident," Sho explained, glancing at Kei repeatedly as he tried to cover for the blonde vampire.

"So? That's not proof! It was probably something she heard on the radio or some-"

"No, she wrote it herself," Kei said. "She wrote it after she met me- …for me. She would sing it to David when he was a baby to get him to sleep. He remembered the melody and was humming it the other day."

Toshi frowned at them suspiciously.

"How old is Pinky? Fourteen? Fifteen? How long have you known us? Twelve… Eleven years? Why didn't we know about David before now?" Toshi asked, doubtful. "It just doesn't add up."

"He-" Kei started and turned away. "He was kidnapped. Lll… Lia and I thought he was dead. Her… Her car ac-accident was more of a depressed suicide than an accident. I blocked the memory. When Sho found me I was close to death from starving myself… and I didn't even know Lia or David existed."

"Oh man, tough luck," Toshi said sympathetically. "And you just remembered this….?"

"The other day, when David was humming the song. It made me remember …everything…" Kei choked a little on the end of the sentence but was able to remain mostly composed. It was still difficult adjusting to the presence of painful memories and the fearful, euphoric joy of having his son so close again.

A timer went off behind Toshi and the pizza man turned around, attending to the two pizzas that had rolled out of the large oven. Behind him, Sho eyed Kei in concern since the vampire was still staring away.

A minute later Toshi turned around with two pizzas, sliced and boxed and stacked. He set them on the counter next to Sho.

"Kei," he said and the blonde turned his head to look at him. "Take care of him now that he's back, yea? The past is past."

Kei nodded and stood up, hugging Toshi briefly with one arm. Sho hopped off the counter just as a door in the back of the pizzeria slammed shut.

"Oh shit, that's my manager," Toshi muttered and ushered the two to the other side of the counter.

"Hey, when are we going to do another heist?" Sho asked, holding their pizzas.

"The usual gangs have been restless recently about shipments coming in so I'll call you once they've calmed down," Toshi assured just as his manager walked to the front. "Thank you for buying Happy Pizza! Enjoy your pizzas!"

Sho snorted as the manager glared dubiously at Toshi.

"Where's Lao?" The man asked of Toshi who spun around to quickly explain that he'd gone on a delivery and that Chiyo, a still-in-school girl that worked there had called in sick from food poisoning.

Sho and Kei took leave, snickering as Toshi stuttered at his boss, an intimidatingly large man with a mustache.

Pizzas being carried in hand, the two men began their near silent walk back home.

They arrived to find Lindsay and David lying shirtless on the couch, David on top of his blonde lover, his cheek pressed to Lindsay's chest as he laid on his stomach. Both had wet hair.

Noticing Sho's and Kei's questioning scowls David opened his mouth to explain.

"We had a messy mishap and needed showers," he said and continued to stare at the tv.

"Together?" Sho muttered dangerously.

"No," David huffed and lifted his head, meeting Lindsay's gaze and rolling his eyes dramatically for effect. Lindsay smirked at the display.

Kei shrugged his shoulders as if to say "good enough for me" and took the pizzas from Sho, setting them on the coffee table as the teens sat up from the couch. Sho still had suspicions, having been there, done that, and just getting a not-quite-right vibe about it, but he dropped it.

* * *

"So you want to get Sho and Kei together," Gabe said as she walked up to David camped out on the roof of Sho and Kei's small apartment building. He was wearing a white wifebeater and a pair of baggy black jeans as he sat leaning against the ledge of the roof. Next to him was a six-pack of wine coolers - missing two - and in his hand was a paintball gun, filled halfway with the small round balls of paint. It was three days after Kei had his revelation about David being his son.

"Mhm. You caught me," David muttered and pulled the brim of the hat he was wearing to the side to block the setting sun on his right.

"Any ideas?" Gabe asked and plopped down near the ledge but not against it like David. She grabbed one of the wine coolers and twisted the bottle cap off, flicking it with her thumb over the edge.

"Nada… except get Kei into heat, or force them to realize their love for one another," David said and picked up an open wine cooler near him, downing the rest of the contents before setting the paintball gun down for a second to tap a cigarette out of the pack near the wine coolers and light it. He blew the smoke into the sky.

"That sounds so corny," Gabe muttered before taking a swig of her drink. She stared at the alcoholic beverage in her hand when she finished. "You're such a pussy when it comes to drinking."

"I drink for fun, not to get drunk like you," he said around the cigarette between his lips and flicked his bottle cap at her, since he had opened another bottle. He removed his cigarette and sipped his newly opened wine cooler. Gabe shrugged and took another swallow of hers.

"Can I?" She asked after a moment, gesturing to the paintball gun next to David.

"Have fun," David said and tossed her the gun. She caught it in one hand and scooted closer, leaning over the edge and steadying the gun. She took aim and pulled the trigger. A pop sounded and someone yelped down below, followed by a long string of loud curses and the muttering of upset moms in the vicinity. Gabe ducked down with a snort and a giggle.

"Who'd you hit?" David wondered, glancing over the ledge backwards. He scanned the area but couldn't find a neon splat on anyone. He took a drag from his cigarette.

"The guy dabbing his shirt with towels given to him by the jewelry vendor," Gave said and laughed again.

David spotted the guy just as he turned around, furiously looking for the culprit of his misfortune. There was a big splotch of neon pink on the shoulder of his navy blue suit and a large coffee stain on his white undershirt.

"That's hilarious," David said with a chuckle as he stubbed out his cigarette and flicked the butt over the ledge.

"He's an asshole so I thought, 'why not' and get a laugh," Gabe explained, setting down the gun on the concrete and sipping her wine cooler.

"An asshole?" David prompted, wanting to know what the guy did for Gabe to play karmic intervention when she was usually touchy about that.

"He's head of his office division on the other side of town and he treats his coworkers and employees like trash, not to mention everyone else he comes in contact with. He didn't even thank the vendor for the towels. Then he goes home where he slaps his kids around and ignores his doting wife before he sneaks out to cheat on her with a call girl who's in love with the guy he pretends to be," Gabe said and took a swig of her drink. Then she held up the bottle to the sun, examining its burgundy color. "You want to keep these bottles?"

"Yeah," David said in answer to her question. "I'm thinking I'm going to smash them up and make a mosaic for the hell of it. So you hit the guy cuz he's a stereotypical dick."

"Yep," Gabe stated, sounding accomplished. "And now he's five minutes late for his all-important meeting. I hope he gets fired and his wife leaves him."

"Won't happen. Worst comes to worst for him, he'll just get a warning from his boss," David grumbled annoyed. He grabbed the paintball gun from Gabe's hand and raised himself up to pop the guy in the knee before ducking down again.

Louder, more pissed off expletives filled the already noisy air and David snickered, taking a drink.

"Don't do it again," Gabe warned and glanced at the guy with a shit-eating grin. "He's getting pretty pissed off and I don't think he'll take it well if he gets hit again."

"Fine," David conceded and looked over the edge for someone else to hit as the guy angrily stomped down the street to his parked car.

"Hit the kid on the skateboard," Gabe said and David grinned, spotting a twelve year old kid ridding a skateboard, wearing a hat on backwards and baggy pants with several chains. Behind him another, shorter, younger kid chased him, appearing close to tears.

David pulled the trigger once he was in range and a green ball of paint flew from the gun, exploding on the kids chest. The kid wobbled, losing his balance for a couple seconds as he looked around confusedly, not realizing paint had just splattered all on his shirt. David aimed lower and pulled the trigger.

The kid shouted as he fell off the other kid's skateboard, his hands holding his groin in pain. The crying kid ran up and grabbed his skateboard, looking at the kid who stole it before glancing around and running off.

"That's gonna bruise," Gabe said and laughed, looking over the ledge to see the paintballed kid rolling on the ground. David shot him again, this paintball stinging his left asscheek with pink.

"Is this what you've been doing all day?" Gabe questioned, chuckling at the kid's unfortunate retribution by paintball. David scoffed and cast his empty bottle to the side.

"As if you haven't been mentally checking up on me," David muttered good-naturedly.

"I actually do have better things to do you know," Gabe said with a mock-glare.

"Like what?" David demanded, raising an eyebrow.

"Like checking out hot guys at my new job," Gabe retorted.

"You working?" David exclaimed incredulously. "I never thought I'd see the day!"

"Ha. Ha. You're so funny," Gabe said flatly. "I got bored."

"See anyone you like yet?" David opened another bottle, noticing the late hour as the sun had just disappeared over the horizon.

"A couple someones… No one really amazing though," Gabe answered and finished her drink, setting the empty bottle back in its previous spot next to the unopened bottles.

"Yeah? Maybe I'll have to come see them. Oh hey, tall guy in the trench coat and sunglasses. Is he a good target?" David said as he stared over the ledge.

"A gang's errand boy who thinks he's badass. Go for it," Gabe murmured as she looked over the edge to watch David's faux hit.

David aimed and pulled the trigger quick, four times in succession. Pink, orange, and green splattered over the hit's front, yellow exploding on the side of his head, knocking his sunglasses off.

"Oh shit," David uttered with a surprised smirk as the guy angrily pulled a gun, everyone in the vicinity taking cover or running away with screams. David ducked down low, pressing close to the ground. A door below them flew open and the two on the roof distinctly heard Sho's distinctive voice booming at the man. David chanced a glance over the edge to see Sho wielding a gun pointed at the enraged man. Next to him Kei made no motion to hide the gun in his own hand.

"Calm the fuck down asshole," Sho barked at the man. "It's just some fucking paint. Go home and wash it out."

"Mind your own fucking business," the man angrily growled back.

"I live here so this _is_ my business," Sho retorted. "So be nice or go the fuck away."

The man glared at Sho, his gaze shifting to Kei, before he tucked his gun in the back of his pants and strode off in a huff. Sho didn't lower his gun until he was out of sight. And even then he _just_ lowered his gun instead of going back inside. He turned to Kei and began talking quietly with the vampire.

"So about those two… What are you planning?" Gabe started, peeking out at the two as the conversed. "By the way, they're wondering where you are."

"I don't have a plan. I don't make plans. I just-"

David slid the paintball gun over the ledge and popped off several balls right into Sho's back. The tall man spun around, running into Kei and falling on top of the blonde. David snickered and ducked down.

"I just do."

"DAVID!" Two voices yelled from the street below as amused murmurs broke out amongst the previously frightened people below.

"Busted," Gabe stage whispered to him and he smirked, downing the rest of his drink.

He looked at the last wine cooler left.

"You want another?" He said and pulled it from the carton.

"May as well," Gabe said and took it. "Since your '_parents_' are coming up after you."

"Fuck my life," David muttered and grinned like a cheshire cat at Gabe as he lit another cigarette. "But that was fun."

* * *

**Jaded's after-words:** Well that was fun. Writing David as a deviant was extremely fun. I have the crazy urge to buy a paintball gun and shoot some people now. And look! GABE IS IN THIS CHAPTER! I was missing her in my writings. AND NOW SHE'S BACK! XD And there's plenty Lindsay to hate on in this chapter, since once again, he's depicted as getting into David's nonexistent pants. And Sho and Kei interact awkwardly with Toshi! TOSHI IS IN THIS CHAPTER! HE'S BACK AGAIN! Yeah… All we're missing is Yi-Che and Son. Guess what guys! I have _plans_ for Son! I'm excited. Cuz Son is cute and stuff you know.!. :) Who can guess what my plans for Son are? Poor Yi-Che though. She gets nothing! …Or does she? BWAHAHAHAHHAHA! (she doesn't really)

…I've had little sleep and my back hurts. Don'T moCk mE!

…Come to think of it, Toshi gets nothing too. Poor guy. He dies a lot. Sad. :( Face.

Anyway! REVIEW ~CUZ ~YOU ~WANT ~TO ~! *does weird wiggly hand motion*


	18. Grounded, Bored, and Plotting

**Chapter Title: **Grounding Leads to Boredom Leads to Plotting

**Rating:** _PG-15_/R

**Chapter:** 16/20- or 30-something-ish?

**Warnings: **language, lots of dialogue... stale from fresh off the press (i wrote it, it sat, i'm posting without editing at all)

**Disclaimer:** Gackt owns Moon Child. (Doesn't that mean he owns Kei too?)

**Pairings: **Kei/Sho

**Jaded's fore-words:** Sorry I haven't done much with this recently. Been trying to catch up on school work and work on this fanfic challenge that's going to doom me... If you want details, mention it in your review. lol. I'm tired. Leave meh alone! enjoy this (or die) lol ha ha ha (CARL THAT KILLS PEOPLE!)

* * *

"Grounded! Seriously?" Max yelled on the other end of the phone, so loud David had to hold the device a foot from his head.

"Yes, srsly," David said, bringing the phone back to his ear.

"How- How-" The blond girl stuttered, obviously not able to comprehend how it was even possible for her stubborn friend to be in a position where he was remotely grounded..

"Oh, didn't you know? Kei's my dad," David stated casually, examining the fingernails of his free hand in an airy imitation of gossiping ladies on tv. He snickered to himself as Max spluttered about again.

"YOUR DAD!" She ended up shouting and David winced, jerking his head away from the phone. "…Wait, who's Kei?"

"The blonde, short vampire you met that one day when we found you and you were over here that one time I got in trouble about Lindsay," David said, wanting to continue with the "that one day with that one thing that one time" speaking he had going, but knowing its effect would be lost on the ditzy blond.

"Ohhhh! Okay. I know who you're talking about now," Max said and David could see her nodding in his mind's eye. "Well, at least now we know why you're so short."

"You be quiet," David muttered in annoyance. He hated her teasing him about his height. He could still kick her ass, goddammit. Even if she _was_ a foot taller than him. Damn tall people. "I will pop a cap in yo ass."

"Yeah, only cuz it's at your height, shorty," Max said with a cackle and David scowled at his bedroom door from where he was sitting on his bed.

"I'm hanging up now," he muttered and Max's giggles stopped immediately.

"Noooo," she whined. "I didn't get to ask you about Lindsay!"

"Ask what?" David demanded, done with talking to his friend. He'd learned a long time ago, for him, Max was to be taken in small doses and after half an hour on the phone, he was done.

"Have you two fucked recently?"

"What do you think?"

"How are you NOT in more trouble? Details, please!"

"We have amazing timing. And no. Goo'bye."

"Nowa-"

David hit the button to end the call on the cell phone Gabe had bought him right after he had been grounded. He had never been grounded. It was quite odd actually. Surprisingly, he wasn't as bored as he thought he would be. Well, not since he requested Max buy him a roll of thick card-stock-like paper and tubs of acrylic paints. He liked painting. He'd discovered this about a year previously when he'd found some spray-paint cans and played with them on the side of a dumpster. Apparently he had a steady hand and wasn't too bad artistically.

He tossed his phone onto his bedside table and stood up, feeling hungry. He stretched and left his room for the kitchen, contemplating the perks of cereal versus ice cream while he went. He decided vanilla ice cream covered in sprinkles and Fruity Pebbles with a little bit of milk in the bowl was a delicious idea and he sat down at the table to enjoy his concoction in a glass mixing bowl.

David was only halfway done with his . . . edible mixture when Sho entered the kitchen from the living room, looking for another beer. David considered maybe opening one and adding it to his ice cream, wondering for a second if he'd enjoy a beer flavored milkshake in a bowl with soggy Fruity Pebbles when the door to the bathroom opened and Kei was seen out of his peripherals walking by the entrance of the kitchen wearing just a pair of loose black pants low on his hips. His messy blonde hair was wet and dripping, adding rolling beads of water to the ones already collecting on his chest and back. He seemed unfocused and intent on the floor as he walked by, holding a towel in his hands.

Sho coughed on his beer and David's gaze flickered to his face in concern, his eyes widening when he noticed the bright hue of Sho's ears, red spreading to his cheeks. His spoon of colorfully speckled vanilla ice cream paused in the air in front of his mouth. He could have laughed at what he just saw but instead he stuffed his face full of ice cream to hide his grin. Sho calmed his coughing fit while leaning on the counter, his beer set safely aside.

"You okay?" David questioned, faking his concern since he rather wanted to guffaw loudly. He eyed Sho, convincing himself it was because he _was_ concerned while still looking for a certain reaction.

"What? Oh, yeah," Sho said hoarsely and turned around, swiping up his beer and sipping it. "It's just not often Kei doesn't wear clothes." Sho blushed, realizing the odd implications of that statement. "I mean, he's usually very self-conscious about his body. He almost never walks around without a shirt. He caught me off guard around week ago with the same thing."

Sho actually believed he was choking on beer because he was shocked. David almost groaned to himself, seeing a moment he could have used slip by as he didn't have a witty way to convince Sho otherwise. He angrily spooned enough ice cream into his mouth to hurt his teeth and give him a brain-freeze while causing the nerves of and around his spinal chord to become sore beyond the pain of a brain freeze. He _did_ groan then.

"Are_ you_ okay?" Sho asked in return. David swallowed the ice cream in his mouth and nodded with watering eyes.

"Brain freeze. I'm fine," he breathed, feeling a spike of pain in his esophagus as it contracted tightly around the glob of ice cream he swallowed. He really needed to stop doing shit like that. It hurt. A lot.

"Alright," Sho said and left the kitchen, giving David a funny glance over his shoulder. David contemplated going after him, just to see if Kei was still not wearing a shirt and wondering how Sho would react to that.

Then he realized something and picked up his bowl of ice cream, rushing from the kitchen and kicking his bedroom door open, then closed. He dropped onto his bed and exchanged ice cream for phone and he texted Gabe.

_"I think Kei's strutting"_ he smashed out on the tiny keyboard his phone possessed and hit send. A second later Gabe responded.

_"he is. remember when Lindsay did that lol"_

_"yea that's actually what made me connect the dots. He was walking straighter and he wasn't wearing a shirt"_

_"theres other things he does you just havent noticed them"_

_"lol my task might be easier than i thought. i just caught sho embarrassed about kei's half-nekkidness-ness"_

_"fan~tastic."_

_"don't sound too enthusiastic… and get back to work."_

_"hot guy. leave me alone."_

_"bitch"_

_"cock whore"_

_"suck it, you know u want to"_

_"i'd rather not. i don't know where that thing's been"_

_"yes you do"_

_"go play with your boy toy"_

_"gladly"_

David dropped the phone onto the bed next to him and went back to ice cream, not annoyed at all, no not at all, about the sudden ringing of the doorbell.

"U-uh, You're Sho right?" Max's voice sounded from the front hall. Sho probably nodded. "David wanted this stuff."

"In his room," Sho said for explanation and a second later David's door was nearly flying off the hinges as Max burst in carrying a couple paper bags with handles and a large roll of thick paper a meter wide under her arm.

"Whew, he scares me," she muttered and dropped the stuff on David's floor in the middle of his room.

"_He_'s behind you," David informed before slurping the remains of his ice cream down.

Max spun on her heel and when she found no one behind her she promptly twirled around to David again. He threw a clown doll at her, hitting her in the face and making her shriek. She glowered evilly at him and stomped out of the room shouting.

"SEE IF I EVER DO SOMETHING NICE FOR YOU AGAIN, DICKHEAD!"

Then the front door slammed shut and David chuckled. Max got mad easy sometimes and it was fun pushing her buttons, like the _clown-o-phobia_ one. David really needed to find the actual term for that, if there was one...

David eyed the supplies on his floor and wondered about what he might paint while he licked his spoon clean.

* * *

"Toshi's got a new job for us," Kei told Sho as the taller man walked in the front door wearing a small scowl after visiting his brother. Sho glanced at him before walking to the couch and sitting down.

"Okay," he said with a shrug. "When?"

"Tomorrow night. Sho, we have a problem."

"What?"

"David-"

"We take him with just like last time."

"He's grounded. We really shouldn't-"

"So? You're his dad. You make the rules. If you say he comes with, he won't question it."

"And what about Lindsay?"

"What about the fucker? He can take care of himself. By the way, where is he?" Sho glared at David's bedroom door.

"He went out. ...I think we should take him with us, Sho."

"Why?"

"Because he might need to feed too and we won't have to worry about David-"

"I'd worry more with him there."

"Sho," Kei said with a weary sigh.

"Fine. Fine, he can come with too. If he keeps his paws off David the whole time. I don't want him manipulating David into . . . making out somewhere dangerous because he's thinking it be hot or something."

"You don't give David enough credit. He wouldn't let himself be pushed into something like that."

"He wouldn't have to be pushed into it. He's not exactly pointed due North."

"Neither are you, Sho." Kei glared at his companion threateningly.

"Which is why I can say that without judgement. And why you should accept it. We're in the same boat, Kei. I wasn't insulting or criticizing him. It's just him. It's how he is. He would probably agree with Lindsay if he suggested it. He… He loves Lindsay. He trusts him implicitly. Didn't think I noticed? He jumps for Lindsay. I just, …Well… I guess I'm just worried it's not a two way street, ya know."

"We just have to trust David. …And I'm not saying I don't or anything…"

"…I feel paternal," Sho said with a sigh and Kei smiled knowingly at him. "Do you think it would be easier if you'd had a little baby girl bundle of joy?"

"If it were David, just as a girl, I don't think there'd be much difference."

"I take that as no."

"Take it as a 'David is David' and gender wouldn't change him." Kei laughed at Sho's glower of disapproval as Kei used his own concept against him.

The tips of Sho's ears burned and his stomach clenched uncomfortably juxtaposed by the light sort of joy that expanded in his chest as Kei laughed so easily around him for what felt like the first time in forever. Sure Kei had laughed before, but there was something different in this one. It felt more real, more like Kei, more of Kei's …muchness or something. Kei grinned at Sho, his wonderfully brown eyes flickering unfamiliarly and Sho tentatively smiled back, suddenly feeling at loss.

He couldn't figure out if the feeling was from Kei's unusual behavior itself or because he felt displaced because of the vampire's unusual behavior. Was Kei acting this way because of David? Was it because Kei had David, his long, lost, forgotten son? What was it that caused Kei to act less like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders? Whatever it was fueled a small fire in the pit of Sho's stomach that made him burn with a jealousy he had never known.

Kei stood from the couch, unaware of Sho's envy, and slid a hand through Sho's short hair, still smiling, before he went to his daybed and shed his boots so he could lay down for a nap. Sho's scalp tingled from the contact as he watched Kei get comfortable. He unconsciously reached up and scratched his fingertips over his scalp, bewildered by the odd gesture Kei hadn't done since Sho was thirteen.

* * *

David was painting on the wall the next day, late in the cloudy afternoon. He used large, sturdy tacks to hold up an expanse of the paper Max had brought him. It stretched along one wall, the one with the kitchen on the other side. He had to rearrange some things to make room for him to work but he was fine with that.

Presently, he was painting a castle turret in the corner in the shape of a glass bottle. It was blue. Thin pencil marks outlined an entire sprawling landscape filled with the strange images of David's mind, melting together to create something that made sense. The castle made entirely of glass and floating in the clouds he was working on was in the top lefthand corner of the paper. The bottoms of the clouds drizzled down into roots that connected the cloud to the ground, the roots looking more like gnarled pillars than anything. Among the pillars were tiny humanoid creatures, hiding. In the night sky behind the castle cannibalistic stars were snacking on one another, red giants munching on littler blue ones while a group of yellow stars licked at glowing white ones as if they were ice cream, only mouths and tongues changing them from little glowing balls of gas to actual beings. These were all things from dreams of his.

Painting carefully, using his acrylics sparingly and switching paintbrushes for different textures, let David's mind free. It forced him to concentrate on just colors and how to create certain effects, occasionally looking tips up on his computer via the internet. He learned a long time ago that if he thought too much about something when trying to be artistic he ended up with something horrid. It was better if he just let his hand do all the work.

By the time he was satisfied with the work he had done on the copying of his dreamscape and his brushes were all soaking in warm water, David's mind was whirring excitedly. He stared at the drawn part of the mural as his mind also supplied the information that dreams were strange things and wasn't it a dream or two that helped Kei into remembering that David was his son?

David smacked his forehead as an idea occurred to him. A smear of dark blue paint remained on his skin when he reached for his cellphone, ringing just two seconds after his moment of genius.

"No."

David blinked at Gabe's sullen voice on the other end of the connection.

"Why not?" David demanded and huffed angrily.

"…Because it would be weird."

"In what way?"

"Kei's your dad, dude. And Sho's like… your not-dad dad. It would be weird thinking of them like that."

"…Then don't. I'll just send you a general idea and after you plant it everything should work itself out from there."

"No."

"Come on! None of it would be graphic!"

"…"

"It's something entertaining to do?"

"… Fine. But nothing too gross."

"YOSH! Okay, we start with Operation Glass Castle tonight!"

"Why 'glass castle?'"

"Why are you asking?"

"Because as soon as your brain went off on your dads hooking up, I jumped ship."

"Oh… Glass Castle because it was something in front of me at the moment. You know, the thing I was painting before I had my ingenious idea."

"Ah."

"I'm going to start brainstorming now. I think I'll call Max and see if she can help out too."

"Have fun with that, honey bunches."

"I will, banana pants."

"See you in dreamland tonight."

"Yeah, later."

David ended the call and tossed his phone onto his bed behind him, smirking evilly as he rubbed his paint-covered hands together in perfect imitation of any good villain.

* * *

That night the heist went smoother than normal, since Lindsay was forced to tag along. For the first time, Sho and Kei watched as David killed men with a gun without second thought, he and Lindsay working naturally as a team to ensure the other's safety from the bullets whizzing through the air around them. (They worked together in a way Sho and Kei never could. The nearly fluid movement they had achieved only because of years and years of grueling, and punishing practice.)

It was a side of the multi-hair-colored teen that they'd never witnessed before. The four of them came out of the job with barely any scratches except for a centimeter wide scrape from a bullet nicking Lindsay's side. But that quickly disappeared as the blonde vampire-child fed alongside David, each with their own unconscious body clutched close. Sho refused to watch that, feeling a slight twist in his stomach as the two drank.

Instead he watched Kei feed, peeking at his friend who normally wasn't so candid about drinking life - blood - from humans in plain sight (in front of Sho especially).

Kei was hunched over a drugged man's prone body on the ground and one arm was wrapped tightly around the man's ribs with enough force to crush while Kei's free hand held the guy's head back at an impossible angle for better access to his neck. At one point, Kei seemed to have felt Sho's stare and glanced up at him without removing his mouth from the man's neck. Sho blushed, a shiver crawling down his spine without the accompanying full-body shudder, and looked away, letting Kei finish feeding in peace and occupying himself with poking through the gang's possessions.

Unknown to him David had seen what had transpired between the two and grinned to himself as he plotted for their wonderful demise. His evil plotting was interrupted by a bloody kiss from Lindsay. He didn't mind all that much.

Sho did though and barked at Lindsay to back off.

Kei rose from his meal, pupils drunkenly dilated, and laughed at Sho's protectiveness while slinging an arm around the taller man's shoulders as best as he could. Sho glared at him, blushing faintly though in Kei's drunken state he didn't notice. Neither did he notice the way Sho's eyes lingered on his lips where a smear of blood was in the corner. Nor did he notice how Sho's gaze subconsciously followed Kei's tongue as he licked the blood away from his ruby lips.

David noticed though and was promptly smacked playfully in the back of the head by Lindsay. It didn't matter to him because he already had plans.

Plans that were executed that night when Gabe dropped in on his mind telepathically and he supplied her with great information to mess with Kei and Sho, and hopefully make them hook up soon. Gabe wasn't too pleased with the scenarios David provided her with but she dutifully accepted her role in the scheme. In fact, she was curious to know the two's reactions, even if she didn't enjoy the means of causing them like David did.

* * *

**Jaded's after-words:** bla, still tired. review. thanks for reading... moving on *snore*


	19. Disconcerting Dreams

**Chapter Title: **Disconcerting Dreams

**Rating:** PG-15/R

**Chapter:** 17/20- or 30-something-ish?

**Warnings: **plotting, language, walls melting, …lameness? & kissing

**Disclaimer:** Gackt owns Moon Child. (Doesn't that mean he owns Kei too?)

**Pairings:** Kei/Sho, Lindsay/David

**Jaded's fore-words:** I'm posting from school. Yey. lol ...Read on.

* * *

_'That's it?'_ Gabe's mental voice asked skeptically, echoing in David's head, crisp and clear but as though she were speaking in a large room.

_'Yeah, that's it. You got a problem with it?'_ David retorted, the familiarity of his own mental voice echoing about. Weirdly enough, whenever he spoke with Gabe telepathically his mind-voice always sounded clearer, like a radio suddenly picking up better reception.

_'I just expected something more, uhm . . . well, perverted.'_

David mentally bashed his head against a random brick wall, imagining it all clearly in his head.

_'I saw that.'_

_'Of course you did! You're in my head right now, or did you forget.'_

He felt the glare radiating through their mental link. Was that even possible? Could something possibly "radiate" through something like that? Something intangible…?

_'Your mental rant is annoying me.'_

_'Don't listen to it then.'_

_'… I'M IN YOUR HEAD! Or did __**you**__ forget?'_

_'Isn't there something you should be doing about now?'_ David cooly stated in his head, thinking of ice and trying to send the chilled feeling across their mental link.

_'It won't work. I blocked it. And I'm not doing anything until you explain better.'_

David sighed physically, out loud, forgetting for an extended moment that Lindsay was in his bed with him, probably still awake.

_'I'm building it up. The point is to make it seem natural, daily, normal, innocent, and then see where it heads from there, what Sho's subconscious does with it.'_

_'You expect me to watch Sho's dreams after I plant that?'_

_'NO! Gee-zus! Just get the general info afterward, like in the morning or something.'_

_'Okay, and what am I supposed to put into Kei's head?'_

David frowned to himself in confusion.

_'Nothing. We're planting ideas in Sho's head, naturally helping that closed door that keeps him from openly loving Kei open.'_

_'You want to provoke him into action.'_

_'Basically, yes.'_

_'And if that doesn't work…?'_

_'Plan B.'_

_'What's Plan B?'_

_'…Plan B…?'_

_'You don't know.'_

_'We're focusing on Plan A here.'_

_'Which is what exactly? Stall until you figure out something better and call it 'Plan B?"_

_'No. Plan A is push Sho into taking action-'_

_'And if he doesn't?'_

_'Then we implement Plan B.'_

_'Non-existent Plan B.'_

_'That doesn't matter! Plan A hasn't failed yet so we don't need Plan B. I have time to think of a Plan B while we wait to see what happens with Plan A.'_

_'Riiiight…'_

_'Just shut up and do what you're supposed to.'_

_'Alright, Cappy~Tan! As you please, mass'sa!'_

_'Be quiet, I-gor.'_

_'If you insist, Fro-drick! I'm easy.'_

And with that Gabe's presence disappeared from David's head and he huffed in annoyance, turning over and feeling Lindsay pulling him close.

"Go to sleep," Lindsay commanded like an exasperated parent dealing with a squirmy child. David pinched him in the side but sighed and wiggled into being comfortable, sighing again seconds later.

* * *

_Sho was sitting on the couch, facing the wall across from it, on the other side of the room, where the hallway to the bedrooms was to the left. It was melting. The clock hung near the ceiling had dribbled almost halfway down the wall as if it were a goo instead of previously being a solid. Similar items on the wall were the same way. Sho found it peculiar that it was only that one wall that was melting._

_But then he looked at the TV and realized it was doing something weird and melty-like too. It was twisting in on itself, the screen sucking the TV inward like it was melting, but more like a black hole than anything._

_Kei walked out of the kitchen, looking completely normal with his hair slicked back and wearing his usual red jacket. He glanced at Sho and then at the wall Sho was staring at and removed the cigarette between his lips._

_"Attractive isn't it?" He said and tossed his cigarette at the wall where it stuck like a butterfly to flypaper. Soon it was melting down the wall, looking more like ashes floating in the wind as it descended._

_Sho looked at Kei and found the blonde vampire examining his reflection in a floating mirror next to him. Sho thought it looked like the mirror from __The Ring__. Big and antique and oval just like that one. Kei ran his fingers through his hair and adjusted his jacket._

_Then he looked at Sho, a confused expression on his face._

_"Am I attractive, Sho?" Kei asked and Sho frowned._

_He stared at Kei, the vampire suddenly seeming much closer._

_Blonde hair that was silky to the touch even though it sometimes didn't look it. Dark, warm brown eyes with shards of pale gold shot through them. Average lips that seemed like they'd be pliant and soft when pressed against. Smaller body, but lean muscle on every inch of it. Silken, pale skin stretched over those muscles. Delicate features projecting a certain hard masculinity._

_Sho swept his eyes over each of these things, taking them in one by one before he shrugged his shoulders._

_"Yeah. Sure," he said and looked back at the wall. The entire thing was on the floor. How strange…_

_Thick, green vines grew from the puddled wall on the floor and suddenly Sho was in a cocoon of green, high above the ground in treetops somewhere. The couch he'd been sitting on was now a hollow dent in the trunk of a tree._

_A snakes whipcord thin body slid over his shoulder and shot into the verdant canopy stretching out in front of him._

_. . ._

* * *

"_sho definitely shows interest in kei"_

David read the single text message on his phone while he ate three different cereals from a mixing bowl at the kitchen table.

"_how?"_ He texted back, spoon in his mouth since he couldn't put it in the bowl for fear of losing it under the milk-drowned masses of sugary goodness in the large dish. His bare toes brushed over the linoleum floor as he swung his legs like a little kid.

"_he stared at kei very intently in his dream when i did what you told me to. he seemed interested"_

David contemplated this while driving his spoon into the basin of cereal in front of him. He should have used a mixing spoon. More frosted, sugary goodness in every bite then. Oh well.

He brushed his hair back from his eyes, just then realizing how long it really was. He examined a purple lock and decided it was time to cut it. He'd do it later as he contemplated the next dream he'd implant into Sho's subconscious.

And speaking of… Where was Sho?

Kei was still sleeping on his daybed. David knew that because the vampire had a nightmare early in the morning (David could tell it was about Luka when Kei started crying in his sleep) and went out for a walk, since it was cloudy. After he came home he went right back to sleep. Then the sun came out and Sho left, giving Kei, and the wall across from the couch, an odd look before he left.

Now the sun was going down and Sho wasn't home. Which bothered David. Because Sho wasn't often out late without Kei. But Kei was out late without Sho. But that was because he was a vampire. That was to be expected.

Unless Sho was with Yi-Che again. The thought annoyed David. She was hindering his plans. Sho liked her. He didn't know that she actually had feelings for Kei. Kei loves Sho. Sho loves Kei but is oblivious and therefore pursuing a possible relationship with Yi-Che. Under Son's watchful eye.

Maybe David should text Sho…?

The shower turned on, the rush of water and the loud pattering of it hitting the floor of the bathtub filling the air, muffled through the wall. Which meant Lindsay was awake. And showering. And naked… …and wet…

David contemplated banging his head against the table, but remembered his cereal was in the way. He ate it instead of putting his face in it, noting that it was almost gone.

Maybe once Lindsay was out of the shower he'd go in and cut his hair.

David picked up his phone and opened a new text message.

_"Whar be thee?"_

He stared at the message and wondered if Sho would understand it. He added _"seriously though, what are you doing?"_ And then he sent it.

The stupid little chime for texts didn't sound after one minute.

Five minutes.

Ten minutes.

David glared the phone down, daring it to do _anything_. (He needed to find some interesting and fun ringtones.)

Nothing.

He scoffed and set his spoon down, getting ready to drink the chocolate milk left in the mixing bowl.

His thoughts were extremely random, he noticed as he slurped down the super sugary milk in the bowl. It might be a problem. Especially if he opened his mouth. He was assuming his brain to mouth filter had disappeared with the appearance of his sugar high. It usually did. Probably got kicks out of the things he would ramble and rant and blurt out. Stupid defective filter.

When he lowered the bowl his eyes were exposed to the most delicious sight, drinking it in with relish. Lindsay was out of the shower. And he was wearing just a pair of loose jeans, hanging dangerously on his hips. His hair was still wet too. Fat drops of water would fall onto his back and roll teasingly down his skin, drawing David's gaze.

Lindsay turned around and leaned against the counter, holding a cup of coffee in his hand. He eyed the bowl in front of David and raised an eyebrow, meeting the younger teen's childishly open and glazed gaze.

"How much sugar have you had?" He asked casually, also noting the empty coffee cup in the sink.

David grinned and cocked his head to the side.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said and tossed his spoon past Lindsay into the sink to the blonde's left.

Knowing David like Lindsay did, he assumed that the coffee David had drank was strong, filled with sugar, with probably a couple packs of hot chocolate, and he'd drank many cups. Then there was the mixing bowl that Lindsay suspected had probably been host to the most sugary cereals in the apartment and little milk.

He sat down across from David who stared at his chest for a moment before jumping up and tossing the (thank-god-it's) plastic mixing bowl into the sink. Then he was speeding out of the kitchen cackling.

Lindsay rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands, contemplating leaving until his hyper-active boyfriend calmed the fuck down. Bad things would happen when David was like this.

Like when he persuaded Lindsay to join him, Max, and Gabe on that paintballing, food-dye-squirt-guns, paint-filled-balloons, lets-go-hot-wire-that-car-and-drive-around-painting-the-town excursion. That had not ended well, since the cops were called on them by angry - yet cheerfully colored - passersby and bystanders and there was a car chase involved and David threw a balloon at the squad car - pissing off the guy driving it - and then Gabe was shouting "Tuck and roll" before drifting around a corner and coming to a squealing stop conveniently near a park. David was the first out of the car, laughing loudly like a mad man, splattered in blue food dye, some red dye smeared on his cheek, his arms covered in drying paint, looking to the world like an extremely excited, and hot, escaped mental patient; cops chasing after him as he turned and ran backwards, squirting them with green food dye.

Luckily he'd been enough of a distraction for the other three to get away without too many officers pursuing them.

David had drank four Monsters and three Starbucks Frappuccinos in an hour before that little adventure.

Lindsay learned his lesson after that. David plus caffeine times sugar equals explosion - which is roughly translated to crazy, dangerous, but interesting and fun, plans that always, ALWAYS, end in something like a run for one's life.

As Lindsay was going into David's bedroom to get a shirt he heard the splash of a large puddle being formed and the clatter of many things falling to the floor coming from the closed off bathroom. He quickly grabbed a shirt, called out to David that he was leaving, and did so immediately, letting the sun and pavement underfoot warm his skin before slipping on his shirt a block later, followed by his socks and shoes two blocks after that.

Kei could deal with whatever it was David was doing.

He wasn't, that's for sure.

He was the boyfriend.

Not the parent.

* * *

Lindsay didn't return that night and Sho was extremely happy about this, although David pouted about it. Sho would have slept better that night, knowing that nothing NC-17-rated was going on in the other room involving David and the-boyfriend-who-should-not-be-named, except that he'd had an odd dream the night before that had him feeling a bit… off. Especially around Kei.

Initially he'd just written it off as one of the occasional odd dreams to be had. But then when Kei was sleeping Sho had stopped on his way out and briefly looked him over, an odd feeling hazing over his brain. He'd quickly left after that, hoping that a visit to his brother and some time spent with his friends would make the feeling disappear.

Now, as he was getting ready for bed, the weird, unnameable feeling returned. Sho scowled at his pillow and flopped down onto his delightfully comfortable mattress. Maybe he would be able to make the feeling go away before he went to sleep.

He underestimated how tired he was.

Within seconds of getting comfortable he was out like a light.

* * *

_His bedroom was dark except for the silvery light streaming through his window. A cool breeze lazily swept through his room, trailing its fingers over Sho's exposed chest while he stared at his ceiling. He had brought home a pretty young woman for the night but she had freaked out and left his room in a panic, screaming barely ten seconds later when Kei got her._

_There was a quiet knock on his door and Kei stepped in, Sho meeting his confused gaze._

_"Sho?" Kei asked, grabbing his arm with one hand and nervously licking his blood-stained bottom lip as Sho's eyes followed the movement of his tongue. He averted his gaze to the floor. "Am I attractive?"_

_"Sure you are," Sho murmured blankly, eyes still fixated on Kei's reddened bottom lip. (Oh heelll no, was he into blood-play. He __**did not**__ find himself wanting to lick at Kei's lips because there was blood on them.)_

_Kei looked up at him through his hair, dark eyes predatory._

_"No, Sho," he said quietly with a velvet purr to his voice as he crawled onto Sho's bed like a cat. "I meant…" he purred as he slid over Sho's body and leaned down, lips hovering over Sho's. "Am I __**attractive**__?"_

_Yes, Sho wanted to say. Very much so. So much I would give anything if you just fucking kissed me right now. His whole body was thrumming with the need to kiss Kei._

_He tentatively moved upward and pressed their lips together, licking the missed blood from Kei's bottom lip._

_A jolt shot through his body from his lips to his groin-_

And he jerked awake, panting softly.

He took a deep breath, sitting up quickly and staring at his door, daring it to open and reveal the blonde vampire from his dream behind it.

It didn't and Sho breathed out.

"What the fuck was that?"

* * *

**Jaded:** :P yeah so uhm... Things are going to start getting more interesting from here on out.


	20. WTFow

**Chapter Title: **WTFow

**Rating:** _PG-15-M-high T-_/R

**Chapter:** 18/20- or 30-something-ish?

**Warnings: **mentions of sexual situations, kissing, swearing, typed up and uploaded so probably riddled with errors

**Disclaimer:** Gackt owns Moon Child. (Doesn't that mean he owns Kei too?)

**Pairings:** Kei/Sho, Lindsay/David

**Jaded's fore-words: **mmm You are going to like this chapter. Mhm!

* * *

_Waves lapped lazily against soft sand as the sun beat down just enough to warm it underfoot. The sound of crashing water filled the air along with the faint, soothing calls of gulls overhead. A salty, warm ocean breeze hit Sho head on, its cooling fingers caressing the skin of his cheeks and tugging on short, loose locks of hair._

_He breathed deeply, thoroughly enjoying the content sensations coursing through his veins from the calming atmosphere of the beach._

_Next to him David sighed and sat up, adopting the similar reclining position Sho had, their legs spread out in front of them. He smiled easily at Sho who returned it before turning to the surf where Kei was shirtless in the water._

_He stood up as Sho watched, tossing his hair back as sea water pulled at his waist. A hand followed the flick, smoothening his platinum blonde locks._

_In the sunlight, the beads of water clinging to Kei's skin glittered as if a thousand multifaceted diamonds were lodged in his skin. Sho stared in fascination even as Kei turned a little to look back at them._

_"What do you want most, Sho?" David quietly asked and Sho looked at him to find the teen looking slightly older and squinting calculatingly at where Kei had just dipped underwater again._

_Sho shrugged, not sure that he wanted anything at that moment. The day was too nice for him to be wanting._

_"Not even Kei?" David continued, now staring longingly at Lindsay, who was playing frisbee with Max and Son and Gabe about a hundred meters away. Toshi and Yi-Che were watching from the hood of Sho's car. A box of pizzas at least six feet high were stacked in the back. The frisbee being tossed around was a pizza itself._

_Sho looked back at the glittering waves, noticing Kei resurfacing. __**Did**__ he want the vampire?_

_"Why?" Sho questioned and it was David's turn to shrug._

_"Kei is not exactly straight, you stare at him a lot, you live with him, and you're practically my other dad," David listed casually and smiled slightly. "It just makes sense. All that's missing is love."_

_The breeze shifted direction, blowing along the beach instead of from the ocean. It carried with it a cloud of rose petals, their noxious perfume drowning the scent of the sea._

_Sho breathed deeply and closed his eyes…_

Sho woke comfortably, feeling rested and content in his bed. He sighed slowly with a small stretch of his arms over his head and wondered why he felt so wonderful. He recalled his dream and swiftly sat up, suddenly hearing multiple curses and the sound of an explosion before he distinctively heard David's voice shout, "You blew me up, asshole!" It was followed by Toshi's guffawing, cackle-like laughter.

"Watch your fucking mouth," he heard Lindsay admonish David teasingly.

"Fuck you. _You_ watch yer fuckin mouth."

Sho rolled his eyes at David's slurred accent and swung his feet around to place them on the cool floor. He stood up then - straightening his sleeping pants - and left the room.

In the living room he found Toshi sitting on the couch - black game controller in hand, and David sitting on the coffee table, cross-legged with a matching wireless controller in his hands as he attempted to ward off Lindsay's feet poking him in the side and leg from where the blonde was lounging in the armchair. It was obvious he was finding it increasingly amusing to distract David from his game with Toshi.

"AHHHH!" David yelled, the noise harsh in his throat. "Ya fucker! I fuckin' died again!"

Toshi snickered.

"Shuddup you donkey-fucker or I'll fuckin' punch ya in the baby maker," David directed at Toshi as his fingers mashed the firing buttons on the controller. "And then I'll fuckin' blow ya up, ass-wipe."

Sho blinked, surprised at David's vulgar language when the teen was normally eloquent and at least trying to be less uncouth. He wasn't normally this violent either.

He crept carefully behind David, stepping over Lindsay's legs to get to the couch where he gingerly sat down next to Toshi. Toshi glanced at him briefly before turning back to the screen where the two were playing some kind of first person shooter game against one another.

"I thought you went home," Sho said to Toshi, watching as blood splattered in one of the split screens. David cursed again and was promptly poked in the side by Lindsay's big toe.

"I did," Toshi said and scowled when David shot him.

"That's fer bein' an ass," David muttered at him before crawling up a ladder.

"Why are you back then?" Sho asked, wondering if David just might kill Toshi for real if he killed David again like he was trying to do in his screen. "Do we have another job?"

"Naw, I'm just here to play video games," Toshi told him as he chucked a grenade at David's person. David punched him violently and painfully in the leg in response. "Ow…"

"Oh… By the way, you are never allowed to pick a vampire movie to watch again," Sho said to Toshi who looked at him in confusion before muttering "Goddammit" when David sniped him while he was distracted.

"Why?" Toshi questioned.

"Kei sparkled in my dream last night while we played frisbee on the beach with a pizza," Sho said and David snorted.

The entire tv screen was suddenly filled with the fire of explosion.

"Fuckin' DAMMIT!"

Sho noticed something about David then and a shocked expression crossed his face.

"Is your hair shorter?"

* * *

_Cool air rushed by on a slow, steady breeze and Sho caught the pungent scent of burning wood carried on the salty night air. Hundreds of miles below Sho the sound of waves rushing the beach could be heard even at that height. Moonlight, bright as day, shined off the surrounding clouds, large and fluffy seeming._

_Underneath Sho, the couch was incredibly comfortable. He reasoned that it was probably because it was sitting on a smallish, but extra marshmallow-y, cloud. Sho was leaning sideways against the back of the couch with his legs against his chest and his arms around his legs. Loose strands of his hair brushed over his neck and bare shoulders. Sho felt so comfortable he would never move if he didn't have to._

_A touch to his back, warm through his flimsy shirt, had Sho leaning back into the hand pressing between his shoulder blades._

_"Do you want me to braid your hair?" Kei asked with a smile and Sho nodded, shifting to sit up straighter with his chin on his knees._

_Very gently, and very soothingly Kei began deftly braiding Sho's hair. The slight tugs to his hair had Sho's scalp tingling wonderfully, making him sigh._

_"Your hair is soft," Kei said observationally and Sho hummed._

_Sho became lost in the lulling fingers combing through his hair and after what seemed like minutes Kei tapped Sho's shoulder to alert him to the fact that he was done. Kei smiled at him, the flecks of green in his eyes appearing as shards of emerald from the moonlight. A lock of blonde hair fell over one of those chocolate-emerald orbs and Sho instinctively brushed it back behind Kei's ear._

_Kei's eye caught Sho's again and he brought his hand up and touched his fingertips to Sho's wrist, halting it from withdrawing. Then Kei turned his head and grabbed Sho's wrist, bringing the inside of it close to his face. He turned his head and pressed his nose to it, breathing deeply. Sho's heartbeat stuttered in his chest._

_Kei took another deep breath through his nose and made a wanting humming noise. Sho swallowed dryly, focusing his gaze on Kei's pink lips. Kei's eyes opened and he slid them to the side to peer at Sho._

_They were darker and more golden than green sparkling emeralds. Sho lowered his legs and leaned forward as Kei turned his head back to face him. His mouth opened, little tips of fangs peeking from behind Kei's top lip as he pressed Sho's wrist to his cheek. A hot exhale danced up Sho's forearm._

_Sho exhaled and inhaled shakily in response. He very suddenly realized he was leaning awfully close to Kei and, in a panic, he averted his gaze… To the vampires too-near lips._

Sho jerked awake, sitting up immediately with his heart racing, wondering what had woken him up. He heard the wails of numerous police, ambulance, and firetrucks. Jumping out of bed he ran from his room to the living room where he found the front door open and David standing in the doorway, Lindsay leaning his shoulder against the wall behind him. Both were peering outside curiously as other people from the neighborhood peeked from windows and doorways, some cautiously stepping out of their homes.

As Sho crept up behind the other two Kei jumped up onto the porch, appearing as if from nowhere. He glanced at Sho directly before addressing all three of them.

"Some car about a block and a half down blew up," he told them and Sho's expression fell and he rolled his eyes.

"Purposefully, no doubt," he muttered, trying to stifle a yawn.

"Most likely," David said through his yawn, unable to hold it back. He turned around and shoved Lindsay back toward his bedroom. "Sleep time."

Sho glared a little at them as Kei entered the flat and closed the door. Kei eyed him disapprovingly.

"I really wish Lindsay would sleep on the couch again," Sho said quietly and Kei scoffed tiredly before walking away, back to his daybed.

Sho remembered his dream and blushed before he rushed off to his bedroom.

* * *

Two days later David noticed the first sign that his dream idea was slowly working.

The day itself was cloudy and warm with a cool breeze pushing fresh, salty air from the sea over the muggy atmosphere choking Mallepa. Kei had decided to go out walking and invited David along. David texted his friends and soon three extra people were in the park where Yi-Che still worked on her mural, the painting appearing to be almost done. (It would have been done sooner, but Mallepa is Mallepa and shit happens, often delaying any random person's plans by a month within minutes.) But none of these thing were what David to believe to be the sign telling him all his plotting had not gone to waste.

The sign was the fact that Kei had subtly implied that Sho should come with them - even mentioning that Yi-Che was going to be painting that day - and yet Sho had declined and instead wandered off in the direction of his brother's fish shop. Sho never passes up a chance to see Yi-Che.

So while Kei reclined on a bench in his comfortable red jacket, back against the table behind him and his hood up, and Yi-Che diligently worked on her mural to make up for lost time, David and his tallish, female, blond friend relaxed in the silky, cool grass in the feeble shade of a tree a hundred yards away from Kei so their conversation wouldn't be overheard easily by the vampire with super-hearing.

Max gaped at David as though he had just announced he was straight.

"You're trying to _what_ now?" She exclaimed and David waved his hands around sporadically in front of her face, shushing her. She batted at one of them.

"Hook… Kei and Sho …up," David said slowly, his hands falling to the ground before he reached up and scratched the back of his head.

"And you didn't included me before _why?_" Max demanded, glaring hellfire at David who ducked his head down as if to avoid it.

"I… forgot?" He said sheepishly and winced when Max smacked him on the shoulder.

"Yeah, you best be scared," Max muttered and David pouted for forgiveness. Max turned away.

"I'm not going to help you now…" She stated definitively.

David sighed and curled in on himself dejectedly.

Max glanced at him and her wavering resolve was visible on her face.

"Alright!" She exclaimed and threw her arms up. "Alright… I'll help you, now. But you better make me waffles."

"Yey!" David yelled and jumped on Max, knocking her back into the lush grass of the park.

"So how exactly are you doing this?" Max questioned and David sat up, butt planted on Max's stomach as he thought.

"Well," he started with pursed lips and his eyes rolled skyward. "I'm making Sho dream about Kei, with Gabe's help of course-"

"Of course," Max interjected, nodding sagely.

"I want to plant ideas in his head that will open him up to considering Kei as a mating possibility. And our dreams are often safe experimenting to solve problems or discover new possibilities. So by pushing Sho to consider Kei via dreams I'm making it seem as though these ideas are coming from himself. Which they actually are; Just a very hidden, deep, locked part of himself he doesn't know about."

"And _how_ exactly are you making Sho consider Kei by his dreams?" Max inquired for clarification as she heaved David off her and instead onto the grass next to her.

David shifted into a comfortable position and frowned, troubled.

"So far I've just been trying to plant ideas and see what his subconscious does with them," David said and Max raised a confused eyebrow.

"And how is that working for you, Brain?" Max asked as she rolled onto her side.

"I'm not sure," David muttered, biting the callus on his left index finger. "The first dream I just asked Gabe to have Kei ask Sho if Sho thought he was attractive. Sho displayed more-than-average attention to the dream-Kei. So I had her have Kei ask it again, only I told her it needs to be in a compromising situation, preferably in a bedroom. And Sho responded well to it.

"Then, since we established that Sho indeed found Kei quite attractive I started focusing on Kei interacting with Sho in places he had mentioned or doing activities Sho enjoyed. In one I told Gabe 'at the beach' and let Sho roll with it. Gabe impressed the image of the beach from Sho's memory into his mind as he was falling asleep. We ended up with Sho at the beach talking to me while Kei swam in the water, sparkling like a Twilight fairy, and Toshi and Yi-Che watched the rest of you people playing frisbee with a pizza.

"Sho stared at Kei the entire dream."

David shifted, sitting up and taking a deep breath before continuing, focusing his gaze on a blade of grass between his fingers.

"After that, I told Gabe to make it somewhere comfortable, a place Sho enjoyed being and felt comfortable in. Apparently Sho feels equally comfortable at the beach as he does on his living room couch with Kei nearby. I told her couch at the beach, Kei braids Sho's hair - since Sho misses that Kei hardly does it anymore.

"The dream went extremely well. Sho felt safe and comfortable and almost kissed Kei. From this observation I think Sho has a thing for Kei's lips or mouth or something."

"You sound so scientifical," Max remarked conversationally and threw a handful of grass at David. He glared at her impassively for that move, grass blades clinging to his hair and clothes, before she continued. "If you've done all that so far why do you need me?"

"I need better ideas and we always plot better together. Two left footed idiots equals a genius right. So whaddaya say, buddy?" David said with flared enthusiasm, opening his arms wide and diagonally, jazz-hand-ing it up with a completely goofy and intentionally fake grin.

"If you think that's going to make me want to help you…" Max trailed off and David dropped his arms, sad-facing his expression as he slumped face first to the ground.

"Then you'd be correct!" Max said in an announcer-type voice. She threw her arms out to the side and David flew up, copying her. They hugged over-enthusiastically. "So what now?" Max asked, her cheek squished against David's.

"Now, we start plotting," David said and let go of Max, laying on his side facing her. "I need dream ideas… and whatever else we can come up with."

"You said Sho likes Kei's lips, right?" Max clarified and David nodded vigorously.

"He seems really fixated with Kei's mouth."

Max grinned evilly.

"Well, I have an idea then," She said and drummed her fingertips together in front of her face.

"Ex~celent," David drawled in classic Mr. Burns fashion, copying her.

* * *

Sho first realized he had a problem of some sort when he was talking to Kei around a week after his first dream about the vampire and he found himself unknowingly staring at Kei's lips. He hadn't heard a thing the vampire was saying. All he could see were those soft, pink lips. He immediately thought of the dreams he was having recently - _Kei kissing him in his bedroom, Kei braiding his hair and Sho's desire to kiss him, Kei shirtless with water drops rolling off his toned torso, Kei's hot breath against Sho's exposed neck and shoulders, Kei's body against his, Kei smirking at him with the tip of a single fang exposed and poking his reddened bottom lip_ - and he put two and two together, wondering if four was really the answer he wanted.

He hadn't thought these weird dreams were anything but, until that exact moment anyway. It wasn't like Kei was all he was obsessively dreaming about anyway. After his most recent vampire-starring dream he had dreamt of monkeys flying on popsicles. It wasn't unusual or anything. Just like that dream about Kei Sho refused to tell anyone he had when he was fourteen. _It_ had been a billion times worse (read "more explicit") than these dreams he was having now. Dreams like this were normal. He would bet that in a few days they would be gone and he would never have to worry about his state of mind again afterward.

Except that two days later and they weren't. They had just gotten worse. Two dreams about Kei in one night worse. Two _lewd _dreams in _one night _about Kei worse. In the first just the two of them had been lounging on the beach, _completely alone,_ and the blonde vampire had been practically _blowing_ a candy-apple red popsicle. From the second dream all Sho remembered was being too fucking hot and too fucking close to and too fucking aroused by Kei's close proximity to his body, both of them _wearing barely anything at all._

Sho suddenly found himself not wanting to sleep on that third night. So he stayed up late into the morning watching the Predator series - including both AVPs - with David, who was all kinds of crazy-excited about the impromptu Predator marathon. Weird kid liked him some violence and pointy weapons. (Lindsay said it was because David had a thing for one of the predators.)

But eventually exhaustion won out and Sho crashed around nine in the morning, barely in his bed.

The next dream was so vivid and he was so tired it nearly seemed real. Until he woke up in a sweat with the intense urge to jerk himself off.

He touched his bare chest with his fingertips, feeling the nerves tingling where Kei's lips had scorched him in his dream. Sweltering heat filled his room, sticky and dizzying. Sho realized he had forgotten to shut his window and pull the curtain back over it, letting in all the heat from outside while he slept. His entire mouth felt dry and thirst parched his throat.

He blamed the heat for his dream and decided, with one glance at the clear sky, that he would visit Yi-Che in the park to watch her paint. If all went well and threats of fire, gang problems, or bad weather didn't pop up for the next week, she would be done before the end of the month a week and a half away.

Sho smiled to himself and took a long drink from the glass of warm, needed water on his bedside table. He had long ago gotten into the habit of keeping glasses of water around the flat, especially in the summer.

Once he felt hydrated enough he wouldn't he pass out - and the glass was empty - Sho remembered about the problem caused by his dream and he glared at his lap.

* * *

Because Sho took advantage of, and happened to mention to Yi-Che about, the nice weather….

It rained for three days straight.

This left Sho cooped up in the apartment as he waged war inside his head with his brain. For some reason it had taken up the habit of obnoxiously pointing odd things out about Kei. It was fixated with the vampire and Sho was barely able to quash its fact spewing for five minutes peace each time he was in the proximity of Kei.

Because of his annoying mind Sho now knew that Kei's eye color shifted and - because of David's pestering and tempting to get Kei to feed regularly - his lips always were perfectly pink and appeared wonderfully soft, causing Sho to wonder if they were as nice to touch as they looked. His hair was the same: shiny and silky, making Sho wish he could just touch it in the most random of moments.

More often than the man liked he was caught staring dazedly at Kei and would receive a questioning look from the vampire, prompting Sho to flush like a school _girl_. Sho hated it. It was like going through puberty all over again. He thought that was all over!

And yet, he continued to stare. Again, and again. He was staring as Kei shirtlessly slept the day away while a sudden heat wave flash-dried three days of nearly non-stop rain.

"Chapstick," David suddenly blurted out in the quiet of the apartment. He was on the couch next to Sho with his computer resting on his Indian-style crossed legs. (Sho realized at that moment that Lindsay was _not_ in the apartment and momentarily wondered why the asshole seemed to be randomly gone more often than not. Not that he minded.)

"What?" Sho asked, turning his attention to the teen. He found a hand in his face, holding a small, yellow cylinder of mentioned healing balm within its grasp.

"You're lips are going to dry out with how much you keep licking them," David supplied, his gaze never leaving the computer screen in his lap.

"Thanks?" Sho said and took the medicated lip balm from the technicolored teen. His bottom lips _was_ starting to sting.

He carefully applied the balm and felt his lips begin to tingle pleasantly. He made a muted noise of surprise, expecting a bit of burning maybe, but definitely not the cool, refreshing tingling he actually felt.

"Peppermint extract," David said and Sho gave him a look of confusion. "It soothes and cools. And makes your eyes water if you get it too close to them."

Then David flicked his computer shut with a yawn. He stood up and stretched big, his back and shoulders popping.

"Nap time, I think," he mumbled through another yawn and went to his room.

Sho looked at the chapstick in his hand before he uncapped it again and held it close to his left eye. It suddenly felt cool and dry and he blinked, his vision blurring from an abundance of moisture. A tear dripped down his face and he wiped it away, blinking rapidly to banish the dry-feeling. He quickly recapped the balm and dropped it on the coffee table, wiping almost furiously at his uncomfortably watering eye.

"I'm not doing that again."

* * *

The next day was nice; it was warm with an overcast sky, the air was less humid than the day before when the dry, hot sun forced all the wet from the days before into the air, and a cool ocean breeze was drifting lazily over the city from the sea. It would have been a perfect day for Yi-Che to paint had she not been sick in bed with a serious cold. Sho went over to give her a get-well gift as David was leaving the house to meet up with Gabe.

Currently the two were strolling lazily down a street in a calm-ish part of Mallepa, mingling between open stalls and basking in the warm sunlight they so rarely could safely enjoy. They _would _have been in the park with Yi-Che but since she wasn't there they were instead getting some nice exercise.

Both wore shorts - Gabe a pair of denim short-shorts and David a pair of comfortable, muted red cargo shorts - and tank-tops - Gabe's a light blue and David's a cool white. On David's feet were a simple pair of white ankle socks and comfortable sneakers. Gabe wore sandals. Protecting David's eyes from the sun was a pair of heavily tinted sunglasses. Gabe instead chose to pull her hair back into a clip and soak up as much sun as possible. Thankfully both were wearing sunscreen, Gabe sprayed with SPF 30 and David SPF 80 Sport since he burned a hundred times easier than her.

Around Gabe's neck was a simple pendant on a chain and a couple bangles bought from a passing vendor decorated her wrist. Around her ankle was a charm anklet. David wondered aloud how she could wear _anything_ extra with the heat like it was. She rolled her eyes at him. She could always withstand heat and sun better than he could.

"Sho dreamt about Kei on his own last night," Gabe said, breaking the comfortable silence between them among the clamor of their surroundings.

"Yeah?" David responded with a hint of excitement.

"Yep. And Sho may not know it exactly yet, but you were right," Gabe said and smiled at him, the glint in her eye making it borderline creepy. "He _is_ in love with Kei. And very much attracted to him."

"It was the looks and their unintended too-closeness," David stated with a sage nodding.

"Of course, I knew beforehand; I just didn't…"

"Consciously know?"

"Yeah, that." Gabe nodded. "Well, anyway he dreamed of Kei biting him. In the neck. And he liked it. A lot."

"So… It shouldn't be long until Sho makes a move on Kei," David mused, shoving his hands into his pockets where he fingered his lighter.

"He _is_ getting restless," Gabe conceded.

David nodded barely and turned his head to the side where his attention was caught and he swerved off to the side toward a vendor sitting under an open-air tent with tables set up to display all things shiny, like spiked and studded jewelry and accessories. Gabe trailed after him as he picked up and examined a black, leather, studded choker that very much resembled a collar.

"Kinky," Gabe cheerfully commented in response to what David was holding and what he was thinking.

David mumbled a quiet "shut it" as he put the choker back and picked up a rainbow studded wrist cuff. Next he fiddled with a belt dripping with silver chains from the D-rings lining the length of it. He unclipped one of the chains and twisted it around before reattaching it and deciding to buy both of the items in his hands. He reached into his pocket and withdrew his money and the vendor - a tall man who couldn't be older than twenty, wearing thin, rectangular glasses and a spiked bracelet - moved to make the transaction. He smiled lecherously at David who gave him a bored look.

When David handed over the cash to pay for the items the guy purposefully took the money with both hands, tugging David forward so that his legs were pressed against the edge of the low table.

"If I give you that choker, will you be my plaything?" The guy asked and David glared before twisting his hand free from the man's two, leaving the money in the guy's grasp.

"How bout you take the spiked choker and go fuck yourself with it," David suggested crudely and stepped back. Two paces away Gabe was browsing through some rings and snickering.

"Feisty," the man said suggestively with a smirk.

"Uninterested," David deadpanned.

"Too bad then," the man said in mock sympathy before turning to Gabe. "What about you?"

"Just the ring," Gabe said and grabbed the belt-loop of the man's jeans. Tugging him closer she tucked the money for it into his waistband before shoving him back. The shocked expression on the man's face made David snigger.

"You never had a chance, dumbass," David said in amusement before walking away, shoving his wrist cuff into his pocket and putting the belt on. Gabe snorted as she caught up with him. "I wonder if Sho tops or bottoms," David stated aloud as they meandered away.

"I'd say he bottoms," Gabe put in and David glanced at her with a smirk.

"Is this fact or speculation?" He asked.

"Guestimation," Gabe said, smiling airily.

"I'd say switch if he ever gets used to being with Kei," David threw in and Gabe shook her head.

"Not with Kei," she said. "I would daresay he _wants_ Kei to actually _dominate_ him."

"Now you're cheating," David accused, good-naturedly pointing his finger at her in accusation.

"I'm only going by his dreams, especially the most recent one he had on his own. Kei's always in charge, no matter what you have me impress into his subconscious," Gabe explained with a shrug.

"Well whatever it is, we'll just have to wait and see," David said and tilted his head toward the sky. "Right now I vote that we eat. I'm starving and popsicles sound amazing right now."

"Agreed."

* * *

"Ow! Fuckthathurts!"

Kei paused as he hung up his dripping red coat, a curious expression taking over his face as he heard David cry out from the bathroom.

"Would you stop?" David barked angrily and Kei walked quietly toward the short hall.

"I'm only trying to help," Lindsay's voice came through the cracked door sounding exasperated and a little peeved. Kei crept forward as his suspicions grew.

"Well, you're not," David growled. "Here- Just let me-"

"Let you what?" Lindsay asked skeptically and David hissed. "You can't do anything right now."

Kei carefully nudged the door open and frowned quizzically at what he saw for David was braced against the counter by his hands pressed flat on its surface, facing the mirror, shirtless. Behind him Lindsay was staring at his back carefully looking it over. With the way they were positioned all kinds of inappropriate implications came to Kei's mind, until he noticed the redness of David's skin and the bottle of gel on the counter.

"What's going on?" He asked, making his presence known. Lindsay lifted his gaze to glance over at Kei before he turned back to David's red skin.

"He got himself sunburned," Lindsay explained as he reached for the bottle of clear-ish, green gel on the counter. David's head was ducked in embarrassment or shame.

"Sunburned?" Kei asked flatly. "And what does that entail?"

"Besides pain? Sun-sickness," David murmured.

"Once he heals from this he's going to be sicker than shit," Lindsay said with irritation in his tone and squirted some of the gel in the bottle directly onto David's back. David hissed.

"Shit, that's cold," he grumbled as Lindsay began rubbing the gel in. Kei crossed his arms as he leaned against the wall, an unamused expression claiming his face.

"And what are you putting on his back?" Kei questioned Lindsay directly.

"Aloe vera," Lindsay stated, carefully smearing the sticky substance thickly over David's already blistering burns.

"How long until you heal?" Kei asked David, sounding a tad bit threatening. David ducked his head even more.

"Tomorrow," he stated quietly.

"At which point he'll be feeling worse than shit," Lindsay added, smearing more gel carefully around the blisters on David's shoulders and down his arms. "You're hopeless, you know."

"Shut up," David muttered.

"David," Kei interrupted what might have turned into a mock spat. "How much of you is burned?"

David cleared his throat, trying to be quiet about it.

"My whole upper body and my legs from the knee down and my scalp and my face," David said clearly if not a bit apprehensive. Kei cringed and Lindsay grimaced angrily.

"If I weren't afraid of hurting you more, I'd thump you," Lindsay growled before ordering David to turn around so he could apply the aloe gel to his lover's chest.

It was then Kei got a look at the extent of the damage, especially David's face, which the skin of was bumpy and shiny across his cheeks and nose, and near his hairline. His burn was already blistering. The same effect was happening to the worst burned areas on his torso. Huge blisters had not only erupted on his shoulders but there were patches of them on his upper chest and a smaller patch of smaller blisters near his right hip, just above the top of his pants.

"How did you fucking do all this, David?" Kei questioned admonishingly, somewhat incredulous about it.

"I went swimming with Gabe this afternoon before it started to rain-"

"And, lemme guess, you took off your shirt and forgot to apply sunscreen," Lindsay stated heatedly, heedful of David's blisters as he pushed the aloe as close to them as possible with his fingertips.

"Mmnnn… Something like that," David muttered, avoiding actually saying anything.

"You're gonna hate yourself tomorrow," Lindsay stated as he finished up the application of the gel.

"Hello?" Sho's voice suddenly called from the living room. "Kei? David?"

"In here," Kei called back and several seconds later Sho appeared in the doorway behind Kei.

"Whoa. Holy shit, is that a _sunburn_?" Sho exclaimed upon seeing David's lobster-red, blistered skin. David glared weakly at him.

"Yes," David said lowly and Sho reached out to poke it as David turned his head away.

"Ew!"

"Ow!"

"What is this shit?"

"Aloe gel," Lindsay informed Sho.

"Oh… What's it do?"

"It helps burns."

"Oh."

"Why did you put it on him if he's going to be healed by tomorrow?" Kei asked, butting in.

"Tomorrow? Geeze that's quick…" Sho mumbled.

"Because it makes my skin feel less tight and burning and uncomfortable," David said with a glower. "Now, can you all stop staring at me like I'm some kind of circus side show? I'm just sunburned."

"I'll stop staring when you stop _looking_ like a circus sideshow," Sho stated teasingly.

"Bugger the fuck off," David snarled. Sho blinked, surprised.

"I'm going to my room," David mumbled and Sho stepped back as the teen slipped past him and Kei, refusing to make eye contact.

"Don't take offense," Lindsay said as he wiped his hands off with a towel. "He's just pissed about letting himself get sunburned. He'll get over it."

Then he brushed between Sho and Kei, making for the kitchen. Kei turned to Sho and they exchanged looks with one another and David's door. Sho caught himself accidentally sneaking a glance at Kei's lips and blushed lightly before walking off to his room with a mumbled "goodnight." Kei raised a brow before flicking the bathroom light off and passing Lindsay in the hall on the way to his daybed. The younger blonde held a pitcher of ice water and a glass in his hands as he strode purposefully to David's room. Lindsay was obviously trying to keep David excessively hydrated and cool to prevent heatstroke and such.

Kei decided he would go sleep earlier than usual since he hadn't slept much that day and earlier that morning Sho had been moaning and groaning in his sleep, keeping the disgruntled vampire awake.

* * *

Late the next morning Kei woke to the wonderful sound of violent retching. He pulled himself out of bed and followed the sound to the bathroom where he found David kneeling at the toilet with his hands in a white-knuckled grip on the plastic toilet seat as he spewed his guts into the toilet. The vomiting stopped only long enough for David to gasp in a breath before his body was heaving again. Thirty-seconds later he was spitting into the orangish water and laying his head down on the arm he outstretched along the toilet seat. His breathing was heavy and he looked exhausted.

Actually, he looked exactly how Lindsay said he would feel. Dead, dry skin was peeling and flaking from his, once again, pale face and arms. He was miserable.

Kei silently went over to him and crouched down, smoothing David's colorful hair back comfortingly. David cracked an eye open to see him but closed it a second later. Kei reached over him to grab some toilet paper and wiped David's mouth with it, tossing it into the toilet when he finished.

Then he carefully maneuvered David back, away from the toilet and flushed it. Kei brushed David's hair back and examined him cautiously.

"Are you going to throw up again?" Kei asked him gently and David shook his head minutely, not wanting the onset of severe nausea to have him praying to the porcelain god again.

"Okay, then lets get you back to bed."

David shook his head, protesting something, but he let Kei help him up since he was barely able to open his eyes. Did he not want to go back to bed? Kei wrapped an arm around his son's shoulder across his back to help him back to his bedroom. David moaned mutedly and wobbled, suddenly clutching onto Kei's shirt and pressing his face into the fabric as his senses went fuzzy, his vision going black and a ringing filling his ears. A loud whooshing accompanied by the sound a television makes when there's something wrong with it filled his mind. Numbness swiftly crawled its way up his body and David could feel nothing, only barely aware of his hands gripping Kei's shirt and the press of fabric on his forehead. He regulated his breathing, waiting for the head-rush to pass.

A minute later he took a deep breath and blinked, suddenly able to see again, and pushed himself away from Kei. Kei made to protest but David was already mutely walking across the hall to his bedroom. Kei followed behind him, worried after what had just happened.

Thankfully the teen made it to his room just fine and Kei watched with a careful eye as he collapsed into a nest of numerous pillows and blankets situated on the floor. He tugged his comforter and extra blankets over his head with a huff, disappearing except for his hair. Glancing around further revealed a Kleenex box and a garbage can not too far from David and the water pitcher and half-full glass were on the bedside table. Lindsay was laying in David's bed alone with a single - barely used - blanket and two pillows.

"Are you going to be okay for now?" Kei questioned quietly and saw barely noticeable movement from David's hair. He interpreted that as a nod and left, silently closing the door behind him in consideration for his sick son.

* * *

Sho winced where he was sitting on the couch when he heard the painful hacking one might expect from an eighty-year-old smoker coming from the kitchen where David was heating up some noodle and chicken broth soup. At the moment it was the only thing his stomach could handle, now on the second day since he had been burned. Sho was supposed to be keeping an eye on him since Lindsay had gone out to run errands, picking David up things from the store and such, and Kei had to feed.

The two blondes had been trying to wait on the teen hand and foot, much to David's chagrin and many protests. Sho understood where the teen was coming from, since after the initial "this is great" feeling when Kei did the same for him as a kid had passed, Sho adamantly refused to let Kei help him when he was sick or injured. But just like with Sho, David was too weakened for anyone to take his protesting seriously and Kei had actually carried the teen to the couch when David decided he wanted to watch some TV. David had tried to make Kei put him down but one piercing look from Kei and he was quiet.

Sho had laughed but in the safety of his mind admitted to himself it was quite endearing. But only because David was adorable when he didn't get his way, in that little brother-y kind of way. And seeing Kei being affectionate with the downed little hellion made a part of Sho wish he could be the same way with the teen.

'_You want to be David's daddy, too,'_ the recently discovered annoying part of Sho's mind pointed out and Sho promptly told it to shut up.

_'That would make you Kei's lover'_ it pointed out and Sho glared at the kitchen doorway, wishing he could aim it at the voice and hopefully incinerate it. Alas, a sound is not tangible - especially a voice in one's own head - and it cannot be destroyed by tangible means. Sho could dream though.

Because if he could burn that voice, he would. And he would burn his dreams too. They would all go into a pile and be doused in gasoline for making his life complicated. Then he would place barrels of gunpowder in the pile attached to a line of dynamite fuse. He would light it and hide behind a wall and wait for it all to explode and send those thrice-cursed dreams and the damned voice rocketing into the sky in a million pieces.

Maybe then he would stop thinking of Kei inappropriately and quit staring at parts of the vampire he shouldn't. Like his lips, or his butt, or his crotch…

David setting down a steaming bowl of noodle soup on the coffee table interrupted Sho's daydreaming. The teen plopped down on the couch and carefully wrapped his comforter around himself before bringing his soup to rest on his lap, the padded duvet providing protection from being scalded or burned. With one hand David dropped an ice cube from his water glass into the soup. It melted in under ten seconds and he grabbed another. That one melted slower and David deemed the soup cool enough to sip at.

Sho watched this all carefully and when David made no movement toward the trash can he turned his attention back to the TV. They sat in silence for a long while, the only noise coming from the TV with the volume down and David's spoon clinking against the porcelain bowl in his lap. When he had eaten as much as he could he set the bowl back on the coffee table and curled up into his comforter, laying his head down on the pillow over the armrest. Sho observed as he drifted off almost immediately, his eyelids fluttering shut.

David suddenly coughed violently and jerked, and Sho thought he was awake until he calmed down and snored softly, breathing heavily out his mouth since his nose was practically useless. Sho reached out a curious hand and gently touched a lock of blue hair hanging in David's face. Since it was shorter now, it barely touched his brow but Sho brushed it away anyway. David sighed in the way only a sleeping person can and Sho smiled softly to himself, retracting his hand.

A muted groan escaped David and he shifted agitatedly. Sho frowned and continued frowning as David's eyes opened and he pushed himself up into a half-sitting position, one hand pressing against his stomach. He groaned again, curling into himself.

"Oh fuck," he moaned and Sho's concern meter was suddenly spazzing.

"What? What's wrong?" He asked, scooting closer to the teen.

"Remember that day we went to the beach?" David grit out. Sho answered in the affirmative. "Well, those cramps I had then were minor and because I hadn't eaten."

David took a deep breath he almost choked on as his whole body tensed.

"My stomach's cramping again . . . And this time it's because I forgot to, or well couldn't, feed."

Sho made a confused face until he remembered exactly what David had said when they had talked about what had happened. Then his expression quickly transformed into one of horror and he flew up from the couch, barely avoiding knocking the coffee table over.

"Oh shit! Is your body like shutting down now or something?" He questioned frantically.

"Not yet-" David ground out but was cut off from saying anything further by his teeth suddenly clamping together. He panted through them for a long moment before he was able to speak again. "Nevermind. Oh gods this hurts…"

Sho's eyes grew to the size of saucers.

"What do you mean '_nevermind'_?" He nearly squeaked, worry seizing his heart.

"The pain expanded," David breathed and whimpered, curling into himself even more so that his forehead was pressed into the couch and his legs were tucked underneath him. "Always the stomach first-" David squeezed his eyes shut and tightened his fists. "-Then the abdomen, which is now-" David groaned loudly, the noise muffled in the couch and his duvet. "-After, chest. Shit! Shit! Shit!"

He curled his head closer to his knees and bit his lip, a fang digging into the flesh. Sho watched helplessly, not knowing what to do. David whined then and he cracked, rushing over and sitting down next to the pained teen, rubbing his back with his palms and trying to comfort him.

"Is there anything I can do?" He asked fearfully. David's pain was tangible in the air when Sho was that close to him when before it was as if there was a wall protecting Sho from fully experiencing it via sight, sound, and general nearness. David grabbed one of Sho's hands with one of his as he tried to puzzle out through the debilitating agony what to do. His whole stomach area felt like it was trying to eat itself while simultaneously twisting into a ball and exploding at the same time. It was like someone had stuck a hot poker into his stomach cavity and swirled it around a bit before using a claw-clamp to crush his organs.

"Call Lindsay or Gabe or- Fuck-" David choked out and his grip on Sho's hand went from crushing to Sho suddenly unable to _feel_ his hand anymore. He continued rubbing David's back with his free hand.

"What about Kei? He doesn't usually go far for quick feeds. I could just-" Sho suggested, trying to consider whatever might take less time but David interrupted him.

"Can't. Full vampire blood- nnggh ah God fucking- Shit- Dammit! Fullvampirebloodwouldchangeme- GEEZUS!" David was barely able to say coherently enough Sho would understand.

"Okay," Sho said, remembering almost embarrassedly that David had told him that before. "Okay, uhm let me just- …Let me just find my phone. And then-"

Sho used his hand previously rubbing David's back to root through his pants' pockets. He found his phone in the second one and clumsily removed it and tried to remember which number would call David's cell phone that was on Lindsay at the time. Give him bullets and blood and fights and he functioned just fine but put him around the short teen he had grown nearly too attached to while said teen is in severe pain due to his body basically _dying_ and he would take the bullets, blood, fights, and _death_ over that any day.

He finally remembered and hit the speed-dial number, calling David's cell phone. It rang.

And rang.

And rang.

And continued ringing until voicemail picked it up.

Sho hung up and glanced despairingly at David when he groaned in agony again. He was about to ask what Gabe's phone number was when an alert about a text from an unknown number suddenly popped up on the screen. He opened it with a frown and read it.

"_Take a deep breath. Calm down and continue with what you're doing. David will be fine. Lindsay's nearby and coming back. Everything's okay Sho. -PeAce Bitches"_

Sho blinked, and sighed, realizing it was from Gabe. Her reassurances and information helped but he was still worried and David's heavy breathing and unmoving position couldn't help but cause anxiety to constrict in his chest and turn his blood to ice.

For around five minutes more Sho rubbed David's back and let his hand be squeezed to death to distract the teen from the pain. For around five minutes Sho's panic level rose ever so slightly with every tick of the second hand of the clock on the wall. For about five minutes every minuscule noise of suffering from David made Sho flinch.

Lindsay opened the front door, a few bags hanging from his arm, and froze, staring at the two of them. He swiftly entered the apartment and dropped the bags, kicking the door shut behind him as Sho watched his face which was twisted in a mixture of concern and something hardening like anger or something similar. Then he was making his way over to the two, ignoring Sho as he crouched between the coffee table and the couch.

"David," he said quietly to alert his lover to his presence. "How badly does it hurt?"

Sho practically breathed a sigh of relief when Lindsay knew exactly what was going on.

David released his hand and Sho unconsciously shook it a bit - barely noticing the pins and needles burning his nerves - before placing it on his knee, keeping his other hand on David's back. With his now free hand David opened it fully - palm up - before curling his fingers into his palm, leaving his thumb sticking out. Apparently it was communication of some sort because Lindsay nodded once to himself before standing up.

"I'm gong to roll you over, okay?"

David jerked his head and took a deep breath, holding it. Lindsay carefully reached out for David's sides. Sho, realizing what was going on a little late, stood up and stepped back. With the utmost care, Lindsay picked David up slightly, his arms flexing with the effort, and he rolled his lover gently onto his side. He repositioned his hands to David's shoulders and legs and shifted him onto his back. David released his held breath and forced himself to stretch out his legs enough to put his feet flat on the couch.

It was then, as Lindsay crouched down, that Sho noticed the blood staining David's bottom lip and chin from his teeth clamped unnervingly hard onto his lip. Lindsay touched David's mouth carefully with his fingers and David released his lip, opening his mouth with a soft gasp. Sho watched as Lindsay pressed his wrist against David's mouth so the veins would be aligned with his lover's fangs. David bit down, one hand rising to shakily hold onto Lindsay's bent arm.

As Lindsay leaned forward to be closer to David Sho felt a sudden flood of discomfort as though he were an intruder in an intimate moment. And he wished he could look away but something was keeping him staring. Maybe it was relief for as David drank, he relaxed. Maybe it was fascination. He had no honest clue about what actually kept him watching but it proved to be a good thing because after several long minutes Lindsay turned his startling green gaze onto Sho.

"Would you give him blood, Sho?" He asked quietly and David made a sound of protest, his closed eyes snapping open to glare at the blonde. Sho blinked in shock himself.

"He's no-" David started to say after pulling Lindsay's wrist from his mouth but his lover just used his enticingly bloody arm to silence the teen. David glared at him and bit down particularly viscously in retaliation for being silenced.

"Will you?" Lindsay asked again, ignoring the way his arm jerked when David bit into it again. Sho eyed his arm apprehensively. "It doesn't hurt as much as it looks. He's just angry with me for asking you."

"Yeah, I'll do it," Sho said and stepped closer. Lindsay nodded approvingly and David released his arm so he could move and Sho could take his place. Cautiously Sho kneeled on the ground and lifted his arm for David to take with still lightly trembling fingers.

"I wouldn't do this except it's out of necessity," David said to Sho before pressing the man's wrist to his fangs and biting deep into the flesh, his eyes slipping shut. Sho gasped as David's fangs sunk into his wrist like twin needles. He could feel them in his arm keeping the holes open for blood flow as David suckled gently, being mindful of unintentional damage and amount. Warmth flooded Sho's body suddenly and he understood why he felt like an intruder before. David drinking his blood _was_ intimate, if the warm and fuzzy feelings filling Sho up were anything to go by.

Davids tongue smoothening over the puncture wounds, back and forth and back, brought him out of reverie and he wondered for a delayed moment what was going on. Then David released his arm and his brain caught up. David was done.

Sho lifted his arm and examined the bite, noting that blood did not flow from the punctures even though they lead directly into his veins. He raised his gaze to David as the teen carefully sat up and thanked him. Sho nodded a "your welcome" at him before Lindsay appeared holding a glass of orange juice.

"You should probably drink this," he said to Sho and the man took it without question, gulping it down in one go. Then he set the empty glass on the coffee table and relocated himself to the couch next to David, ignoring the slight wooziness he felt.

"That wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," Sho murmured, smiling playfully at David as relief flooded his body. "I don't get why Kei wouldn't just drink from me when I offered when I was growing up."

David laughed tiredly and Lindsay sat down on David's other side.

"He was probably afraid of addiction," David said and Sho shook his head bemusedly. David realized something at that moment. "Hey, I can breathe through my nose again!"

* * *

That night David developed a fever that forced him to curl up in his nest on the floor of his bedroom and refuse to leave. He slept a lot too, but that was just fine because he enjoyed sleeping and when one is sick, sleeping rocks the socks.

Sho and Kei spent the night watching TV on the couch. Sitting close. Though it didn't seem like Kei noticed. Sho noticed. But Kei seemed unfazed. And Sho wondered if Kei would notice if they were even closer. Like barely-an-inch-between-them close. Then Sho mentally slapped himself for thinking like that. He forced himself to focus only on the TV screen and succeeded, until there was an unexpected rap on the front door that broke his unfocused concentration.

He glanced questioningly at Kei, who just shrugged a shoulder before standing up to answer it. Sho ogled at his butt in his loose black pants as he moved toward the door. When Kei flung it open, Sho redirected his attention to who was at the door, chastising himself half-heartedly about staring at Kei's ass.

"Max?" Kei questioned, surprised. "What are you doing here? It's one in the morning."

"David wanted me to come over and watch movies with him," Max successfully told him without stuttering, ogling him just as much as Sho had been, only more obvious about it. Kei smiled amusedly at her and stepped back, motioning her in. Sho suddenly felt the spike of a familiar emotion he remembered feeling a lot as he grew up: jealousy. The voice in his head snickered at him, helpfully pointing out that he was jealous of a teenage girl because Kei smiled at her.

"He's in his bedroom," Kei told her and she nodded, disappearing around the corner, still ogling up to the moment Kei left her sight. The blond vampire just chuckled and shook his head.

Another weird feeling bubbled inside of Sho, consuming his thoughts with "_mineminemine_" as he watched Kei sit back down on the couch next to him. He wanted to reach out and grab Kei and make sure no one else could touch him - _have him,_ the inner-voice corrected. Sho nearly smacked himself when he realized he was feeling the beginnings of serious possessiveness just because David's friend was staring starry-eyed at Kei.

"You okay?" Kei asked him and it suddenly registered with Sho that Kei was giving him that one look he had been getting a lot recently. He flushed and nodded, turning away.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking of some …weird stuff," Sho said with a cough, adamantly returning his attention to the TV. Kei frowned skeptically at his behavior but returned his attention back to the television also.

It was around four in the morning when Kei decided to call it a night and he stood up, making his way to David's bedroom to check on everyone there before he went to sleep. When he opened the door he found Lindsay asleep facedown with a pillow over his head on the bed, a blanket barely covering his body. On the floor David was passed out on his back with his head on Max's chest while she nodded off, the computer on her stomach brightly lighting their relaxed faces. It was David's computer and a quite tune was being played from it.

Kei crept carefully over to the two and slid the computer from Max's lap causing her to jerk and rub her nose. David sighed. Kei froze before straightening up once Max's hand flopped off to the side. He ejected the movie still in the computer and placed it back into its case, closing the DVD player window and shutting the laptop once the DVD was safe. Then he gently pulled the blankets at David's feet over the two on the ground and dropped a kiss on David's forehead before leaving.

He returned to the living room to find Sho had laid out on the couch, taking the whole thing for himself. Kei smiled because it was just so like the man to do something of the sort.

"They asleep?" Sho asked when he spotted Kei and the vampire nodded.

"Soundly. They won't be awake for a long while," Kei said and plopped himself down on his daybed, removing his old boots that he hadn't taken off since he woke up.

"The TV bother you?" Sho questioned as he held the remote ready to turn the volume down. But Kei just shook his head and stretched out on his bed.

"It's fine," he said and Sho nodded once, tearing his gaze from Kei to look back at the TV. "Night."

"Yeah, you too," Sho responded in barely a mumble.

"Get some sleep, Sho," Kei suggested quietly. "I've heard you almost every night for the last couple weeks, restless as soon as your eyes close. Staying up won't help."

"Yeah, I'll take that into serious consideration," Sho said sarcastically and Kei snorted at him, rolling over to get comfortable. Sho had no plans to sleep. His dreams just kept getting more and more …graphic and unsettling. It went from innocent enjoyment of the vampire's company to the vampire doing somewhat erotic things like nearly blowing a popsicle to Kei kissing him - _biting _him - to… Well, what he had started dreaming of recently. Kei's body, sometimes naked, sometimes against his, lips and teeth and frantic grabbing and _grinding_. Sometimes Sho was just staring and wanting. Once, Kei had even been _blowing him_ in a dream. It had been so shocking for Sho that he had jerked awake instantly, panting and hard as marble.

Staying awake was Sho's great idea on how to strike back against his subconscious. If he didn't sleep, he couldn't dream. And maybe that annoying inner-voice of his would be too exhausted to bother him. too.

It worked until about five in the morning when he nodded off and promptly had a short dream about Kei pushing him against a wall to kiss him senseless toward everything _but_ Kei. At which time he jerked awake, glanced at Kei with bated breath to make sure the vampire didn't know or something, and then checked the time. Asleep for barely half an hour and he was already dreaming? What? He couldn't even blink if he wanted to avoid dreaming of Kei.

He stared again at the television, realizing an infomercial was running before he promptly changed the channel.

Seven o'clock early morning news was on when he dozed again and was swiftly carried into the land of dreams where he was fisting Kei's soft, golden locks and sucking on the vampire's bottom lip. Dream-Kei groaned quietly and Sho abandoned his lip to kiss him full on again, this time being held to Kei as the vampire was pressed against a wall.

Sho woke with a gasp.

And so his morning continued on in this manner until he actually fell of the couch with a crash around noon-thirty and woke Kei, who immediately sat up and called Sho's name in confusion. Sho groaned and lifted himself off the floor. He blushed when he heard the approach of Kei quietly padding over without his boots on and he frantically scrambled onto the couch to hold a pillow over his crotch. When that was dealt with, he turned his face up at Kei and smiled in what he hoped was an innocent manner.

It was obvious he failed at it when Kei raised an eyebrow in suspicion at him before promptly deciding to drop it, along with himself onto the couch next to Sho. He grunted and tilted his head back, slipping into the weightless realm of sleep, leaving Sho shamelessly staring at him.

He fantasized that he might lean over and brush his lips over Kei's. Then he blinked and . . . stared at Kei's neck. And he wondered what the vampire's skin would feel like to his lips. How would it taste? Sho shivered as that thought immediately brought on the idea of doing something else to Kei that would allow him to taste the vampire.

Sho turned away, forgetting the TV and instead staring at the wall that had melted once in one of his dreams. If he remembered correctly, it was the dream where Kei had asked him if he was attractive the first time. Which prompted Sho to glance back over at the snoozing vampire.

He shifted, unintentionally bringing himself closer.

Yes, Kei was very attractive. Blonde hair, Sho wished to touch. Soft lips, he begged his dreams to cease from forcing him to kiss - if only to end his torture. Captivating brown eyes that pulled him in every time their gazes met. And then whenever Sho needed, Kei was right there. Ever since he was a kid there had always been a sense of security in being around Kei. And Kei was the one person he could tell anything, and everything, to. When Kei wasn't around, Sho just felt less.

Then, remembering how gentle Kei always was with David, the blonde made his insides feel all warm and gooey. Seeing him smile often created the same feeling. And when Kei became angry Sho would feel goosebumps crawl up his spine and erupt on his arms, even when that anger wasn't directed at him. He never thought about it before, but Kei only ever seemed to get angry when Sho or David were in some form of danger, or when Kei felt like he _couldn't_ protect them.

"What are you doing?" Kei suddenly inquired quietly, startling Sho, who jumped. Kei's eyes were still closed and his breathing was as even as though he were snuggled deep in the arms of Morpheus.

Sho's mouth turned into a plecostomus' for a full second before he clamped it shut with a popping noise. Kei opened his eyes when Sho failed to respond and it was at that moment Sho noticed just how close he was to the vampire.

And to distract Kei from their potentially awkward closeness, he surged forward and kissed him.

David paused mid-step at the end of the hall, with the hand rubbing his eye freezing mid-rub. A look of shock stole his face, mirroring Kei's own.

* * *

**Jaded's after-words:** HA! I'm almost sorry for what I'm doing. Three month hiatus people. Sorry. :( Ish. (Inside I'm all kinds of "Bwahahahahaha XD") Hate me all you want. Really. I look forward to your letters. (Ferguson FTW!) Uhhh, there was other stuff I wanted to say here but now I can't remember it. Hmm… Well, a lot of nothing happened in this chapter so feel free to bitch about Lindsay (EDIT Satchi *brainfarted*) or you know, Gackt, if you're reading you can leave a message too. Hell, get Hyde to join in. *wink**wink* lol

Eh-huh-huh T-t-that's all, folks! *waves and disappears into a hole in your reading device*


	21. Conflict of Thought

**Chapter Title: **Conflict of Thought

**Rating:** _PG-15_/R

**Chapter:** 19/possibly 30-ish

**Warnings: **swearing, kissing and obscure/blatant reference to sex/ual things, arguments, euthanasia

**Disclaimer:** Gackt owns Moon Child. (Doesn't that mean he owns Kei too?)

**Pairings:** Kei/Sho, Lindsay/David

**Jaded's fore-words: **Late! I realize this. Many interesting things have been going on for me recently. Including me actually liking school, enough to get there on time for, like, the first time in my life. My first class of the day is Life Sports. First thing we did was a kayaking unit. In a lake. And then people signed up for the kayaking down the river. And I flipped my kayak. First time flipping in a river, first time wearing a skirt. It was thrilling. Especially when my shoes became stuck and I was half in the kayak, half out, floating down the rapids, underwater. :) It was awesome. And then I've become really interested in my ceramics class. If you ask about seeing my work, I'll link you to my mandatory blog on bloodspot. I'm really happy about all my classes except one. This year I joined yearbook so I could learn to use a camera and do graphic designing. Now I'm terrified of the class. I'm going to write a letter to the advisor/my teacher. AND I've been painting my room. Looks awesome. I'll take pictures and load it onto my blog if people want. It's considered art. I don't think my teacher will mind, especially since me and a few others in his three classes seem to be the only ones actually doing it. Anywayyyyy… I've also had some serious writers block…. soooooooo- Whew this thing has gotten long. Enough with my rambling excuses.

Satchi and Soubi, you both inspired me the other day just by existing. :) Annnnn~d a special thanks to **vampluvr'96** for reminding how long I had been dragging this out and motivating me to start actively burning my writers block in a fire-pit. Without further ado, enjoy what I have for you at this moment in time.

* * *

After a pause in which nobody moved - stunned and shocked, sitting and standing, watching, kissing, and being kissed - Sho pulled back as quickly as he had swooped in. He stared at Kei, mouth opening like a fish, words suddenly nonexistent as only action existed. Then, without even exchanging a breath, he flew from the couch and out the door, leaving Kei to raise a hand and touch his lips unconsciously with his fingertips.

"What are you doing? You doofus, go after him," David exclaimed, throwing his hands out in pleading and gesturing wildly to the front door. Kei looked at him, completely out of it before registering David in his head. It was a moment longer before he understood what David had shouted at him.

His usual, angry-apathetic expression returned and David's excitement fizzled and died, falling like lead into his stomach.

"I'm not going after him," Kei stated flatly with a note of finality.

"Why not? **He.**_ Kissed_! You." David pressed and gesticulatedly wildly with his arms, eyes wide and incredulous.

"Because he obviously didn't know what he was fucking doing and I'm not going to date my friend no matter how much you seem to want me to," Kei said angrily and David's shock at him cussing was overridden by his anger and frustration with his father.

"You two are fucking hopeless," he growled and Kei's eyes narrowed dangerously. David ignored it and continued.

"You fucking love him; You're fucking _in love_ with him. And _he _**kisses** you, obviously showing interest, and you're probably not even going to confront him about it when he gets back. I know you, Kei, you'll just pretend it didn't-"

"David," Kei interrupted firmly and dangerously, effectively cutting him off. "We're not going to get into this again."

"You're fucking ridiculous," David snarled and Kei's eyes flashed and hardened.

"Room. Now," Kei ordered and David paused, breathing heavily.

A tense silence fell between them and a battle of wills ensued, entirely within David. Kei watched it happen in his son's eyes, and in the way he moved not an inch. For thirty seconds he readied for either the argument to continue or for David to listen to him.

He knew the exact moment it happened that the part of David on Kei's side had won. David exhaled slowly, his once sharp, angry eyes dulled, and his shoulders dropped, nearly in a defeated way. It was almost sad, yet at the same time his jaw locked and his hands curled into fists. The next second he was turning, his gaze hard, and he stomped back to his room. The door slammed behind him and a loud _thud_ was heard against the wall a second later. Kei could only guess what it had been.

Taking a deep breath he relaxed back into the couch, wondering at his first argument-fight with David. He refused to think about Sho - the subject that started it - and the kiss they had "accidentally" shared.

Lindsay was on his feet in an instant, springing from the bed and wrapping his arms around David before his lover could potentially punch the wall again. David growled and twisted, instead trying to kick it. Lindsay stepped backward in the same moment, hauling David off his feet. The short teen twisted violently and kicked out angrily with both feet and Lindsay gripped him tighter.

This was how it always was when David became angry. But not just annoyed or irked or simply just a little angry. David was pissed when he lashed out like that. He would hit things, or kick things - things that usually didn't break easily and would actually end up injuring him more than he would injure them. And when David injured himself, Lindsay would intervene. It would only piss David off more because the colorful teen hated people touching him when he was angry. Gabe was the only one who wouldn't get wounded attempting to calm David down.

So Lindsay stumbled back and sat on the bed, pulling David securely against his body between his legs.

David fumed, panting and twisting, not wanting to be restrained or touched. Only Gabe was allowed to hold him, hug him, hold him back. Gabe was the only person he would let subdue him. Everyone else got a fight.

Already angry, but quickly become more and more vexed, David glared at Lindsay's arms locked around him - pinning his arms to his sides - and ruled out hitting or biting the blonde. But his legs were still free.

Swiftly, so as to not be stopped, David lifted his leg and slammed his heel back into Lindsay's shin. He was hoping that either it would piss Lindsay off and he would be freed, or Lindsay would get pissed off and let him fight his anger out.

Instead, Lindsay hissed and wrapped one of his legs across David's, trapping them with little wiggle room. David jerked frustratedly and Lindsay bit the side of his neck, applying a constant pressure to force David to calm. David tried to twist away from Lindsay without luck.

Lindsay continued biting him until David sagged against his chest in defeat. Seeing that his lover had stopped fighting against him, Lindsay loosened his jaw and pulled back, leaving blue indentations of his teeth in David's neck. Without warning David wrenched his whole body around and jerked his arm back in a last ditch attempt at elbowing the blonde in the ribs.

Lindsay squeezed his arms tighter and forced David's arm back to his side. Then, lightening quick, his hand flew up and his fingers wrapped around his lover's slim throat.

David froze, not even breathing. The fingers on his throat slid up just enough to force him to tilt his head back and with that motion he was also forced to lean back against Lindsay's bare chest.

He took a deep, shuddering breath.

A second later David's head felt as though it were filled with helium and his whole body was suddenly boneless, and he slumped, Lindsay's arms around him being the only thing keeping him sitting upright. Lindsay released David's legs and gently pulled the shorter male more firmly back against him.

David wasn't afraid or threatened. In fact, he wasn't even barely angry anymore as his whole body relaxed in an annoyed submission. Although, if anyone else besides Lindsay had tried to pull that, he would have seriously hurt them. Because just as Gabe was the only one allowed to subdue him when he was angry, Lindsay was the only one who could touch his neck. Except the back of it. Other people could touch that.

Something a bit peculiar, yes, but he always told people it was a trust problem and that people touching his neck, especially his throat, had him freaked out because he believed that a slit across the throat would be the worst way to die. And so it freaked him out when people touched his throat.

At least, that was what he told people.

"Are you calm now?" Lindsay quietly asked right into David's ear and an irked, short, quiet noise escaped him as he wiggled slightly. Lindsay gently stroked a small patch of skin under his middle finger and David's eyelids fluttered. A shiver passed through his body.

Then he nodded minutely.

"Will you _stay_ calm?" Lindsay questioned next, his voice practically rolling into David's ear, carrying authority and something that just made David _want_ to obey. He whined wordlessly, a small frown creasing his brow.

Then he nodded again.

Lindsay relaxed, his other arm dropping to rest around David's abdomen and David carefully shimmied his arms free to rest one over Lindsay's thigh and let the other cover Lindsay's arm. And yet the hand on his throat stayed.

A long moment of comfortable silence passed and David breathed, slowly and steadily, forgetting everything but Lindsay and breathing and that warm hand wrapped around his neck.

"I wonder how-" David started, his voice rough from his wordless forms of communication. He cleared his throat.

"I wonder how Kei and Sho would react if they saw this."

Lindsay chuckled breathily, obviously finding amusement in entertaining the idea.

"I'm being serious," David murmured. "Sho would probably kill you on sight. So I guess it's a good thing he's not even in the house. But Kei's reaction-"

The door swinging open to reveal Kei on the other side cut off what he was going to say next. An expression similar to being hit in the face with a frying pan was how he stared in shock at the two. A horrified kind of shock really.

"What the hell?" He exclaimed and David blinked away the haze in his mind, belatedly noting Kei was shaking and angry, but in a different way he was before. Now he had a tinge of murder in his eyes... Which were locked onto Lindsay's hand around David's throat.

"Uh..." David stalled, sitting up straight and letting Lindsay's hand slide from his neck. Kei glanced dangerously at the younger blonde before making eye contact with his son.

David had a brief moment of panic then when he realized he would probably have to tell Kei what was going on, exactly. That meant he would have to reveal the real reason he didn't like having his neck touched. Only two people knew the real reason: Gabe, because she knows everything, and Lindsay, because he's David's lover and a sneaky bastard. Telling Kei, his recently discovered dad, would be beyond humiliating. (God, it's still weird to think of Kei as his dad. Weird in a good way.)

"If someone doesn't tell me what is going on in two minutes then I'm going to rip Lindsay's arm off and put it in a meat grinder," Kei hissed and David jumped to his feet to explain.

"He was just trying to calm me down because I was pissed of and I punched the wall and kicked him and would've kept trying break things, like my hand, when he was trying to keep me from hurting myself or himself and I wouldn't quit so-"

"So he grabbed your throat in a threat to choke you if you didn't stop?" Kei said lowly, his voice eerily even. Which just scared David more, fearing Lindsay's life being in jeopardy.

"No," David drawled lowly and directed his gaze to the floor, the tips of his ears burning bright red. "My... uh... My neck is extremely sensitive, and normally I hate people touching it because..." David trailed off, realizing he had said too much and now Kei was expecting to know why he hated having his neck touched. He could have smashed his head against the wall from his stupidity. Oh well. There was absolutely no way around it now, not with Kei leaning so casually in the doorway, exuding an aura of murder with the way his arms were crossed and his usually warm brown eyes were hard and threatening. He figured he should just tell Kei and try to not be so embarrassed.

"Because my neck is extremely sensitive, I don't like people... Touching it. Lindsay's the only one... B-but uh, I don't know exactly why he did it that way to... to calm me down."

David looked at Lindsay then with a frown as if to ask _"Why __**did**__ you grab my neck?"_

"Touching his neck when he has been upset has always calmed him," Lindsay told Kei, examining David as the younger teen began to fidget with his shirt hem. "Like the 'tickling' thing. Recently David has been interested in something a little... unconventional and I just used the idea to get his attention."

David's entire face was bright red and his shoulders were creeping toward his ears. He stared incredulously at Lindsay, all too aware of Kei staring at _him_.

"H-How exactly do you know about that? I don't recall you being around when Gabe an-" David started, feigning a sense of casual he obviously didn't feel. But he stopped mid-sentence when his mind stuttered on the thought of Gabe. Lindsay raised an amused, mocking eyebrow at him.

"I'm going to murderize her," David muttered darkly and Kei cleared his throat to get the attention back to him.

"Still here," he said, the corner of his mouth quirked, even as the rest of his expression remained unamused. David coughed once.

"Just thought I'd let you know. Also, I've changed my mind. I don't want to know what exactly that was. As long as nobody's getting hurt and Sho never finds out... I'm fine with it. Just not ever in front of me or I won't be responsible for what happens to Lindsay afterward." Kei told them, his gaze drifting from one to the other and then back as he spoke.

"Aye-aye, cappy-tan," David said with a half-assed mock salute in Kei's direction.

Kei nodded, accepting that and leaving, making sure to close the door behind him.

"And just be glad Sho hadn't been the one to walk in on _that_," he called amiably through the door. "If he had, Lindsay would have been dead, no questions asked."

David glanced solemnly at Lindsay before sighing in relief with a bit of a laugh.

"Well, that was a bit humiliating," he murmured before dropping back down onto the bed only to have Lindsay scoot against the wall and drag him back against his chest. David yawned and settled back, resting his head on Lindsay's shoulder. Lindsay briefly nuzzled David's hair as he leisurely picked up David's hand, his right, and examined the back of it.

"Jesus, David," Lindsay muttered, swiping his thumb over the short teen's knuckles.

"Huh?" David drawled lazily, the adrenaline from everything wearing off. He looked at his hand and flinched in shock. The second to last knuckle was purple almost all the way down the first bone of his ring finger. The last and middle knuckles around it were blue, and the one for his index finger was scabbed over from a scrape.

"Ouch," David breathed and Lindsay flicked him in the side of the head.

"Yeah, ouch, you dumbass," he admonished unhappily. David's face scrunched in a display of his annoyance at being flicked.

He jerked his hand from Lindsay's and turned his attention instead to the wall, where there was a small smear of blood where he had punched. He huffed, mildly amused, not having known that his hand had slid along the wall after he punched it.

Lindsay directed his attention there too and was significantly less amused. He flicked David again for good measure.

"Would you stop that?" David grumbled as he rubbed the side of his head. In response Lindsay scooped up David's hand and shook it a bit.

"Yeah, when you stop doing this," he said and dropped David's hand again.

"You're SOL then," David stated flatly. "I'll not stop that. And you know it."

"I guess we're both shit outta luck then," Lindsay said and dropped his forehead onto David's shoulder.

After a moment David turned his head and blew into Lindsay's exposed ear. Lindsay grunted in annoyance. David smiled smugly and turned back to staring into space, through the wall. Lindsay took the chance as payback and attacked David's neck with his lips.

David inhaled deeply, head tilting just the slightest. As Lindsay's lips passed over a particularly sensitive spot he quietly groaned on a sigh, enjoying the turn of events. Lindsay took full advantage and for several minutes the only sounds in the room were soft breaths and the wet smacking of lips tasting skin. David's hand resting on Lindsay's thigh spasmed when Lindsay's open mouth closed on the area behind his ear and he sucked.

"What were you so angry about before, anyway?" Lindsay asked as he pulled away, brushing his lips over the earring in the cartilage of David's ear.

David sighed.

"Sho kissed Kei," he said dully.

"So... You're plan worked?" Lindsay asked, not understanding why that would piss David off so much.

"Kei refused to even acknowledge that it had happened," David groused.

"So it _didn't_ work?"

"No, it did. The point was to get Sho to kiss Kei. And I'm currently ignoring the fact that you even knew my plan when you said you'd stay out of it. Moving on. It worked but Kei's just being an ass and Sho ran away. ...Oh damn, Sho!"

* * *

Why did he do it? Why? Besides the fact that he had been dreaming about it for the past couple weeks and that it seemed like a good distraction idea at the time... Why? That was _not_ an excuse to go ahead and do it anyway!

It should _not_ have happened. He was not so impulsive that he would actually go and kiss Kei like that, for no other reason than it had seemed like a good idea at the time. There had to be more than just random impulse and a couple awkward dreams behind that.

But then again, there really shouldn't because that would imply that he was gay. And he wasn't. Experimentation doesn't count. But it wasn't as though he had a problem with being gay. Kei was his mentor-slash-best-friend. That made it weird.

So by all means he shouldn't have kissed the vampire. At all. Never.

But he did.

Why?

Whywhywhy!

Sho inhaled long and slow as he leaned forward onto the concrete wall in front of him. His forehead pressed against the smoothened, cool surface, noticing that there were billions of people all around him. Then he realized he was in a nice, more unfamiliar part of Mallepa. A place he didn't know well, if at all.

He disregarded that for the time being in favor of returning to more pressing matters.

Kissing Kei, for example.

What to do about it? Maybe...

Sho shuddered.

_Why_ he had done it perhaps?

He carefully thought about it, rewinding time in his head to place himself back in close proximity to Kei, trying to remember correctly.

What had he been doing right before the kiss?

That was easy.

Starting enamoredly at Kei.

Which was the problem.

Why was he enamored with Kei?

The dreams...

Well, actually, come to think of it, he had always kinda had a little bit of a completely straight man-crush on Kei. Or... That's what he used to explain the completely inappropriate dream he had of Kei as a teenager where...

And was it really so straight?

Whoa, hey, whoa. Stop right there. Thoughts like that were what got him into this mess.

Was it really a mess though?

Yes, yes it was. You don't go around kissing your _older,_ vampire, best friend. Who also happened to be male. Not that Sho was homophobic or anything. He had no problem with David and Lindsay dating.

Or well, he had no problem with the fact that they were both male and dating, or together, or were lovers...whatever. Sho though David could have definitely ended up with someone better.

Come to think of it, would Sho approve of any boyfriend David ended up with, Lindsay or no-Lindsay.

Probably not.

He didn't get how Kei was just so casually okay with it.

Which brought him back to Kei.

The blonde, male, vampire-friend Sho had kissed.

Had he enjoyed it? He unconsciously touched his lips, feeling them tingle just the slightest.

Okay, he had.

Was he... Was he possibly attracted to Kei?

Pink lips, soft skin, gorgeous body, silky hair, dark eyes Sho could end up trapped in...

Okay, it was possible Sho was a little bit attracted to Kei.

The vampire didn't help matters by acting so oddly recently. Not wearing a shirt, sitting weirdly close, looking at him in that way that always made Sho uncomfortable...

Sho jerked into a straighter standing position.

Was it possible Kei was trying to seduce him?

He immediately thought of the dream where Kei had crawled into his bed and kissed him.

Ha.

Funny thought, that was. Kei? Seduction? Didn't mix.

Sho's head thunked against concrete again.

Kei was comfort and strength and stability and no-nonsense. Kei didn't seduce. He was the most asexual vampire Sho had ever known of.

Except for that Eddie guy who sparkled. But he wasn't asexual. He was just a pussy.

Sho chuckled, finally getting David's glittery t-shirt.

Someone stumbled into his back at that moment, pulling Sho from his ponderings. The guy hastily apologized and distractedly went on his way.

This made Sho aware that the sun had gotten remarkably close to setting. And the thought of facing Kei made his stomach twist and his throat clenched against rising bile.

He would have to stay somewhere else. Son might let him stay with him and Yi-Che for the night, if he promised to sleep on the couch and keep his hands to himself. But remembering David and Lindsay, Sho decided that might not be the best of ideas, them being the prime example of what might happen. Not to mention, with what he had recently discovered about himself, he wasn't really in the mood to even look at the woman he had previously thought to be the most beautiful being he had ever seen.

He wasn't so sure about that now.

His brother would be out of the equation automatically. Shinji would ask all kinds of questions.

Toshi it was.

Having made his decision Sho turned back the way he barely remembered coming from, hoping to make it to Toshi's little illegal loft housing before the sky became entirely black.

He didn't notice the two men in long coats with spiky hair following him.

* * *

The sky got darker, night fell, Sho didn't return.

Kei was laying in bed when David got a call from Toshi telling them that Sho was at his house. Out of it and tired, but at his flat and making a bed on his couch.

After that Kei didn't exactly want to lay down anymore.

So he slipped on his boots, called a "see you later" to David, and left.

He was gone for about two hours, just walking around without thinking, before he finally returned.

And when he did, it was to quiet apartment. The TV was on with _The Lost Boys_ playing but no on was watching it. And Kei almost thought the flat was empty until he heard Lindsay start speaking from the kitchen.

"David-"

"No," David's voice interrupted tersely. "Lindsay, I'm comfortable here, now. In the future, probably. But right now, I'm okay with this."

From the tone of his voice, Kei believed he might have come back near the end of an argument. Or the beginning. Most likely the end though.

"Five months ago, you said you were bored of living on the streets," Lindsay stated almost angrily.

"Five months ago I wasn't here. Five months ago, I still didn't have any parents," David pushed in to what Lindsay was saying. "I'm not going to stop you or say you can't. If you don't like it here, go for it. I'll drop by. But I've found another piece of home here. And I'm not ready to leave it."

Lindsay sighed.

"I don't want to leave you. Renting it now would be pointless because I'd still spend most of my time here," he said and David chuckled briefly.

"We're street children. If you want a place to call your own, don't let me stop you," David said softly and Kei could almost picture the loving, encouraging expression on David's face as he would probably brush his fingers over Lindsay's.

Kei had half a mind to just back out the door but another part wanted to keep listening.

David..." Lindsay said in a way that could almost be chastising. "If you won't move in with me then I won't rent it."

"Alright. Fine. We'll drop it then," David said placatingly as he exited the kitchen. "…Since we seem to be at an impasse."

He glanced at Kei before calling over his shoulder as he walked to the couch.

"Kei's home."

"Hey, Kei," Lindsay greeted as he followed David's lead and joined the younger teen on the couch.

"Vampires? Really?" Was all Kei had to say, not wanting to think about what he might (or might not have - they didn't know) just overheard.

David shrugged.

"What can I say? We rock."

* * *

Dishes clinked together gently, the sound muffled only by the soapy water they rested in. Quiet splashing accompanied it along with the scritch-scritch of bristles being repeatedly brushed over a smooth surface.

At the kitchen sink David stood in a pair of dark-colored cotton pants and a tanktop, his arms wet to the elbows. Sunlight lit the room a dark gold, afternoon heat held only at bay by the curtain drawn over the window.

The house was silent as he worked. Lindsay was at his job and Kei was asleep. Sho had still not returned and evening was slowly creeping closer.

And after the mess he and Lindsay had made the night before when Kei was out, David thought cleaning it all up while Kei was asleep and Sho was gone would be in his best interest.

It was in this quiet, relaxed environment that Kei woke slowly with a deep sigh. He was awake but he wasn't sure he wanted to be, so he kept his eyes shut. Maybe he had been dreaming something amazing and that was why he wasn't ready to be awake? Maybe he just shouldn't be awake yet.

A deep breath.

He was too hot. Way too hot. His skin felt prickly and the rise of his breathing felt too heavy. And his clothes were damp. Which they shouldn't be.

No, his clothes definitely shouldn't be damp because vampires don't sweat. Because they don't get too hot. They don't overheat like humans do. A particularly good thing when living in a hot climate, like the sweltering heat of Mallepa.

Kei had always thought of that as a wonderful advantage of vampirism, even if he didn't quite like the thought of killing people for blood, for food.

He grunted quietly and lethargically raised his arm to drop the back of his hand onto his slick forehead.

_What the hell_?

His hair was even damp and sticking to his skin.

He tried to remember why he might be feeling like this. Why any vampire might get like this.

What exactly was this?

He was too hot.

Was he near sunlight? Sometimes if he wasn't in direct sunlight but extremely near, he would start feeling like this. But to feel as horribly drained and burning as he did he would have be laying there for a long, long time. And he would feel pain. Stinging, burning, ice-prick pain that would nauseate him, is what he should be feeling, if he were near sunlight.

And he _did_ feel pain. But not the pain of burning alive. Not the burning, stinging, ice-prick pain that accompanies his flesh being seared to a crisp and peeled from his bones.

This pain was more of a bone-deep ache. An ache in every cell, emanating from his bones, making him lethargic and tired and sick and sweaty. And ache that, now that he was aware of it, he wanted nothing more than to get rid of it. It was like an itch in a muscle, a gnawing in his brain.

But why?

He had been a vampire so long he couldn't remember pain like this.

Pain for him was burning skin, stinging bullets, twisting cramps in his stomach, and sharp shooting pain in the top of his mouth, traveling down his throat.

This new pain was the ache of sore, worn muscles, of sickness, and of a severe beating all in one.

What was it? Why did he feel it?

He trembled.

Soft, breathy whistling floated from the kitchen, dancing through Kei's haze and reaching his ears, causing a slight panic to jolt him before he remembered David was in the house with him.

David was the only one he could hear, now that he was focused beyond the pain. Lindsay wasn't anywhere. No extra breathing or shuffling from him. And no harassing David too. Sho wasn't around either; the lack of extra breathing, tv, or conversation alerted Kei to this.

Sho had left the night before and apparently he hadn't come back.

Hadn't come back because he had kissed Kei.

Kissed... Him.

On the lips.

And-

Kei inhaled sharply as a fire exploded to life inside him, like a match thrown into spilled gunpowder. His body arched upward and he made not a sound, not even a single breath escaping from him, as he writhed from the sudden inferno that was burning him from the inside out.

Then he collapse panting with his eyes screwed shut. The pain was nothing like he had ever felt before. It had his fingers curled and clawing at his bed, his toes doing the same without him realizing. This pain... It was like burning in the sunlight inside out, mixed with every sore muscle in his body cramping at once and being stabbed with a thousand poisoned needles.

He howled when the agony ratched up several notches.

David jumped, the dish in his hand slipping from it and plunking right back into the water to settle over the silverware in the bottom. For a minute he was extremely confused and freaked out.

Then he was in motion, flying from the kitchen and swinging a sharp right around the corner, feet losing traction for an entire half second. He came to an abrupt stop in Kei's area when he saw the vampire curled on his side, fingers digging holes through the leather of his daybed. His skin was slick with sweat and his entire body was tensed in agony. Muscles trembled and twitched.

David inhaled sharply after forgetting to breathe nearly an entire minute. His pupils dilated and every instinct in him told him to run the other direction as fast as possible to get as far away as possible. Unconsciously his arm lifted to act as some sort of bar between him and Kei as if it would protect him from the vampire should something bad happen. And as his arm raised his left foot slid back a step and he placed all of his weight on it, ready to bolt at a moment's notice.

Kei reeked of pain, sweat, and a predatory arousal that chilled him in his very core with every shuddering breath he took. Dangerous to be near the blonde, David's brain screamed at him. Run, his instincts demanded. He absolutely recognized what was happening.

The smell, the pheromones, the fear. He had experienced it all before. When the same thing had happened to another blonde he knew. It was in every vampire's genetic make-up to react like this when another vampire was in heat. Because a vampire in heat was dangerous.

And Kei had just collided with it head on and rolled (in car accident terms).

The only thing keeping David from running at this point was a whisper in his mind, reminding him that Kei's pheromones hadn't changed yet. So far he only smelled of a vampire in heat. When they changed then he was prowling for his mate. Searching, seducing, luring whoever it was closer. _That_ was the warpath to avoid.

Kei was easing into it compared to Lindsay though.

With Lindsay, everything had happened in flashes, moments, breaths, heartbeats.

The four of them - him, Gabe, Max, and Lindsay - had been playing cards on the beach at sunset when Lindsay went rigid and his suddenly glazed eyes bled into a swimming gold. Then the three of them froze in place, each having scented the same thing. _Run, run, run, _a deep terror told them. Lindsay's scent changed the next breath, a flash of smiling teeth, and then they were all on their feet, tearing up the sand as they sprinted in different directions.

David heard Lindsay gaining on him and icy fear trickled from his chest to his stomach in a heartbeat. He was grabbed then, jerked back, colliding painfully into what nearly felt like rock, and they were falling. He landed with a grunt in Lindsay's lap as the older teen fell to his knees, spraying sand. His shirt was ripped in a violent jerk before he could even think to (impossibly) twist himself free, his brain not able to keep up with the fact he was caught. Teeth sunk into the flesh of his shoulder area near the nape of his neck. Fire exploded outward from it.

He had screamed, fear, fire, shock, and a sudden, strong, overwhelming magnetism toward something he couldn't grasp in that moment all created a violent, confusing vortex inside him.

Kei might have thought it funny, like some special initiation or something, but he had no fucking idea how terrifying and embarrassing it really was.

But now he would know.

From the other side anyway.

* * *

David sighed as he dipped the washcloth in his left hand back into the large bowl of ice cold water next to where he had pulled up a kitchen chair at Kei's bedside. The freezing water numbed David's fingers nearly to the bone as he squeezed the cloth with one hand. Then he returned it to Kei's forehead where he dabbed sweat away and attempted to cool the overheated vampire off.

Kei barely reacted to his touch at all but David liked to think maybe he was helping ever just a little. Even if he was only really helping by providing his right hand for serious squeezing. When he first took Kei's hand into his he had thought all the bones in it would be broken by the end. Nope. Still intact. Just completely numb to about the wrist. And his fingertips were dark red, nearly purple. And Kei's fingernails had cut pretty deep into his skin a couple times. Drawing blood deep.

But as long as nothing was broken, David was fine with this.

It'd been about an hour since he had discovered Kei was in heat and for about forty minutes of that David had been sitting next to him. Thirty of those forty he had been sending out a mental distress call to Gabe, which apparently she was ignoring since Kei was in heat.

Kei growled in pain, breaking the near silence of the apartment and causing David to flinch. He had just barely repressed the urge to flee in the opposite direction. After taking five minutes to even make himself move and another ten to force his body closer to the blonde vampire, David refused to let himself be terrified off by his instincts.

_'You rang?'_ Gabe's voice finally echoed in his head and he sighed in relief.

_'Yeah for like half an hour,'_ David said unhappily with a scowl as he put the cloth back into the cold water.

_'How's that working for ya? ….You are extremely close to him…'_ Gabe teased before her voice became suddenly very uncomfortable. David rolled his eyes mentally.

_'You gotta help me out. I'm thinking something impenetrable with a one-way entrance and a complicated lock. Sho is seriously not ready for this.'_

_'Yeah. I know. And I'm way ahead of you,'_ Gabe said factually and David felt she was smiling almost evilly.

_'Whatever you did, I feel that it's devious.'_

_'Nah. Just a tad illegal.'_

David smiled and shook his head.

_'Oh, by the way, Sho's on his way.'_

_'Crap.'_

The mental connection between them severed on that last note of panic and David was left to frantically wrack his brain for a way to divert Sho, aka what to do with him until either A, Kei somehow was able to control himself or went _out_ of heat by some freak happenstance, or B, Sho just realized his goddamn feeling for Kei.

Yeah, like that would ever happen. And there was no way David would be able to make Sho realize his feelings. What would he do? Say something stupid like, "Admit you want him and fuck him… Or leave until you will."

Ha.

So, what, then?

Kei's trembling stopped and David watched him carefully. A deep breath had Kei's chest rising under David's sharp gaze, and David's heart seemed to skip a beat anxiously before speeding up. Something told him that very soon something very exciting was going to happen.

Kei's eyes snapped open, startling David and kicking his flee instinct back into hyperdrive. Their molten gold color was the cause of that as David remembered another time he saw eyes like that. But after calming his nerves and upon closer inspection he discovered Kei's eyes had a darker, more lava-like effect and color to them.

As David watched, Kei took another deep breath and relaxed. And for another ten seconds David was confused.

What he realized in the next moment had him on his feet, kitchen chair knocked over behind him, and Kei's hand was dropped.

There is only one reason Kei would be acting like that, and _it_ was Sho. Kei could smell him now, which meant that Sho was _too damn close_ for comfort.

_'In your room, under your bed,'_ Gabe whispered into his mind and he bolted without a thought about.

Under his bed he found a box of random things he liked to have just to have and in that box he found a pair of official police handcuffs that he had swiped off an officer just to say he owned a pair.

With the handcuffs in hand he hurried back to where Kei was laying and scanned the area for an idea of what he could use them for.

There was nothing sturdy enough to hold Kei if he really wanted to get at Sho. Nothing! The only thing bulky enough and heavy enough to be a _nuisance_ even was the daybed.

David clicked a cuff around Kei's wrist as the distracted vampire stared anticipatingly off into the general direction of the front door. The other cuff he slipped around the frame of the bed near the middle and brought Kei's other hand across the vampire's chest to click the cuff around it. He finished this task just in time to hear the quiet _snick_ of the front doorknob being turned.

As if in slow motion, the front door swung open to reveal Sho, in the clothes he was wearing the day before, every bit oblivious as he should be.

Kei's reaction was instant and David's entire body locked, his mind slipping into a terrified-horrified state as the smell Kei was giving off changed.

Kei sprang to his feet, mid-lunge at Sho. The bed scraped along the floor behind him, and he fell to his knees, not expecting the bed to move with him.

"Sho!" He called out, excitement and desperation commingling in his voice.

Sho immediately raised his gaze to look at Kei, mouth open, ready to say something back to him. But David intervened without thinking, his plan forming in a split second as he fought to override his instincts.

"Sho, go pack essentials for two weeks time and meet me outside. I'll explain everything there," David burst out, keeping one eye on Sho and one on Kei.

Sho blinked at him confusedly, as if contemplating his words.

"Go, Sho!" David yelled frantically, a slight tremble revealing itself in his hands.

That had the older man moving, running past him and Kei, down the hall to his bedroom. There he grabbed a duffle bag from his closet and threw in a few pairs of pants, some shirts and underwear, a handful of socks, ammo, his guns, and his wallet. He stopped in the bathroom for a comb and his toothbrush before he was racing past David who was sitting on Kei's back, holding one of the vampire's arms twisted behind his back, not that it was really "helping" much beyond being annoying enough to split Kei's focus.

Once Sho was out the front door, zipping his bag as he went, David was flying after him in a sprint, slamming the door behind him. Beyond the wood, Kei was calling out Sho's name, pleading him to return with just the man's name.

David grabbed Sho's arm and pulled him down the street to the end of the block.

"You can't stay there," David said solemnly, laying on a dramatic air effectively thick. He needed to play this all right if he wanted the two to have a quick happy ending.

"What? Why?" Sho questioned with just the right amount of alarm and anger to tell David what he was doing was working.

"Kei's in heat," David dropped with scary-serious eyes. Sho lurched back in shock.

"Huh? …He-… He's in heat?" Sho asked, not comprehending this turn of events.

"Yes. And you can't be in the flat. A vampire is dangerous when in heat," David said, looking Sho in the eye to press how important everything he was saying was. "Vampires in heat are so dangerous, it flips an instinctual switch in other vampires telling them to get away as fast as possible."

"If he's so dangerous, why are you staying?" Sho retorted and David could see the anger of frustration and confusion bubbling in the man.

"I'm hard to kill. You are human. And not only that, but his intended," David hissed, stepping closer to Sho and using his darkest stare to press into Sho the situation.

"I'm his _what_?" Sho breathed, appearing to be confused, shocked, and fearful of what that implied.

His intended," David said flatly, cranking up the menace in his face. "The one who is the reason he's in heat. Do you understand now? You can't go in there unless you want to be eternally bound to Kei as his lover, best friend and pet. If you go in there and give yourself up to Kei, you are giving yourself up to possession. You will be his, and he - yours. This isn't marriage, Sho."

David took a measured step closer, his dark eyes capturing Sho with their severe intensity. The people around them paid no heed to the two and according to the man and boy, other people did not exist in that moment.

"If you enter your apartment even a second before I give the okay, there is no 'death do us part.' He is a vampire. And you _will_ become one too in time. You have to be sure - completely, entirely, and absolutely _positive_ - before you give up to Kei.

"So leave. Hopefully in a bit he'll be back to normal, out of heat, and you can return."

David backed up, staring Sho deeply in the eye - gaze like a needle piercing Sho's mind - before he turned and began slowly sauntering purposefully toward their apartment.

"Call me when you've found a place to stay," he called casually over his shoulder, leaving Sho speechless and jostled by passersby.

* * *

By the time Sho called that evening to tell David he was staying with Toshi, the teen was exhausted. The conversation was brief and David was the one to end it, since Sho had questions and David was tired. He had right to be too, since after Sho had left, Kei threw a serious fit. Then Gabe had shown up driving a flatbed with some serious metal walls loaded onto it.

David asked no questions and with the help of Max and Lindsay they assembled in Kei's cleared out area what seemed to be a safe of some sort. A large, room-like safe.

Again, nobody asked questions.

Then Kei was uncured from the toilet and his dead-weight self was hauled into it and he was locked away with his daybed for sleeping and a camping lantern/flashlight for lighting.

And David was extremely glad that Kei slipping into heat was a slower process than what Lindsay's had been.

Using the car analogy again, Lindsay's crash into heat was a head-on collision and subsequent explosion, whereas Kai was a crash and roll. kei had tried to lure Sho closer by pleading.

So, now that Kei was in the full swing of things, David was immensely glad that Kei's start was slower. And that Gabe had acquired something sturdy and basically soundproof.

Kei was _not_ happy now that he had been denied his mate.

A loud bang on the safe door had David flinching. Lindsay's hand automatically appeared on his back as a sort of reassurance.

"I really wish he would stop," David muttered tensely. "It keeps sending my body in 'flee' mode and the surges of adrenaline are fucking with my head. Seriously dizzy, no joke."

"I feel really jumpy," Lindsay said quietly as they both stared at the partial wall and door of the safe.

"It's the pheromones in the air," David stated, glancing sideways at Lindsay. "When one vampire smells that from another, instinct is to run. You're just smelling what's left in the air. When you got here before and your heart pounding like you were running a marathon with the world watching… That's what it was."

"It wasn't just that. I was nearly too terrified to even come in and I had no idea why," Lindsay murmured, taking a step back as the muffled, quitted version of an angry shriek reached them. "Knowing you were in here was the only thing that had me even entering the apartment."

"It took me twenty minutes to even get close to Kei when it first happened."

David stopped breathing when another loud bang was heard. He, too stepped back, his shoulder brushing against Lindsay's.

"Think it will actually hold him?" Lindsay wondered aloud, eyes fixated on the door still.

"Yeah…" David breathed uncertainly. "It should. I hope, anyway."

Lindsay nodded.

"How pissed do you think he is?"

"Very," David whispered. "I think… that maybe… we should go… to… my room."

"Sounds like a good idea."

They both jumped at the next bang on the wall of the safe. Their eyes met and they laughed nervously before hurrying off into David's room.

* * *

It was two days later that Kei finally calmed down. Most of the morning had been full of screams, growls, shrieks, howls, and loud banging and stomping but by noon they all stopped. Like a snap of the fingers it all quit. And David was glad they lived in Mallepa, where your business was your own and people didn't ask questions. Because explaining their situation to police would have been awkward.

_"Yes, officer, there's a person in that stolen safe. No, we can't let him out. No, we can't return the safe either. Why? Because he's a vampire and he's raging with sexual desire. Thank you for understanding officer. I'm glad you stopped by."_

Yeah. Right.

"I bet you are wishing you would have rented that apartment now," David was saying to Lindsay as they ate lunch around one that afternoon.

"Nah," Lindsay said as he used a fork to stab around at the coleslaw on his plate. They were eating the kind of food usually found at American barbecues. It was easy food, and neither one of them liked to cook that much. Store bought is always easier.

"If it were really that bad, I'd just kidnap you away to a motel and let the pieces fall where they may without your meddling," Lindsay told him with a devious, teasing smile, his green eyes sparkling.

David used his fork to launch some sticky blue jello at him.

Lindsay grabbed a napkin and wiped the blue gelatin from his collarbone where it had landed with a splatter. He crumpled the napkin and tossed it carelessly onto the table.

"Do you think we should check on him? He's been scarily quiet for a while now," Lindsay said, glancing at David, whose eyes were averted down on the picked apart chicken they'd been eating.

"Honestly, I've been thinking about it for the last hour. I just couldn't force myself to even get close to _thinking _about going near the safe," David said and chugged a glass of strawberry soda. He set down the glass and burped loudly before leaning forward on the table and sticking his finger into a lumpy, creamy, fruity mush.

"Grow a pair," Lindsay said to him teasingly and David licked his finger clean with a smirk.

"I have a pair. You've played with them," he said and Lindsay gave him an unamused look.

"That's messed up, David," Lindsay stated flatly and David smirked wider.

"You started it."

David flicked another forkful of jello at him. This time it landed dead center on Lindsay's bare chest. Lindsay scowled an wiped it up with a finger, sucking it off with a scowl.

"I should make you clean this up," he muttered and David choked on his soda.

After getting back under control he glared at Lindsay.

"Don't tempt me," he deadpanned and Lindsay smiled evilly.

"Why not? Kei's locked in what I'm pretty sure is a bank safe and Sho's kicked out for two weeks," Lindsay stated, _almost_ conversationally.

"It wouldn't be fair to Kei and… Don't tempt me," David said with a warning look at Lindsay.

Then he stood up and started walking away.

"I'm going to check on him now," he threw over his shoulder as he turned out of the kitchen.

Lindsay smiled with a shake of his head.

In the living room, David stood five feet away from the door of the safe, staring at it with a frown. He was trying to figure out what to do since he didn't want to risk opening the door and having Kei attempt a break in his desperate delirium.

He stepped forward.

Opening the door just enough to hear or smell or see really quick was even a hazard. Kei might grab him and seriously hurt him or fling the door fully open and bolt. And it was pertinent to the plan that Kei's heat recede.

David took another step forward.

His heart was fluttering wildly in his chest.

He stepped toward the safe again, expecting a loud bang or explosion any second. Taking a deep breath and holding it, he leaned forward and pressed his ear against the cool metal. For a long moment he heard nothing but the whoosh of his blood and his beating heart and then a muffled sob reached his inner ear. The breath he had been holding left in a way that was similar to being punched in the stomach.

As he continued to listen, breathing silently and slowly to hear, he caught the sound of a quite whimper and a sharp inhale. Another extra muffled sob.

He pulled away in confusion and stared at the metal wall in front of him like he had x-ray vision and could see through it. Then he stepped back, feeling nearly horrible with guilt and sadness, and he returned to the kitchen with a saddened, pouty frown.

"So… How is he?" Lindsay asked slowly, wondering why his lover looked so upset.

"He's crying," David stated and blinked away his guilt and empathetic pain toward Kei. If he was going to meddle around, he had to accept the consequences.

Lindsay's eyes narrowed wonderingly but David just sat down again, continuing to eat normally. So he decided to let it go and he returned to his own food.

"I think I'll check on him again later, and tomorrow I'll go in to see him, if he isn't raging again," David said and Lindsay glanced up at him.

"Only if I'm nearby. I don't want his switch to flip back to pissed while you're in there with him alone," he said and David muttered and "okay" right before another glob of blue jello splattered on Lindsay's shoulder.

He set down his fork as if preparing to pay close attention to whatever happened next and he slowly looked up at David, who was poking at his leftovers in mocking innocence. This time Lindsay didn't bother to wipe it away, instead going back to his food while carefully watching David in his peripheries.

David discreetly loaded another glob on his fork and pulled the end back while holding the handle.

A second later it was landing on Lindsay's stomach as he stood up. In the next moment Lindsay's fingers were gripping David's shorter locks of hair and their faces were inches apart. Their eyes were locked, and David was smiling excitedly while Lindsay's expression was more "dead serious."

"Clean it up," Lindsay ordered and David's teeth were showing now as he grinned.

"And if I don't?" He asked cockily.

Lindsay pulled harder on his hair, forcing his head back and exposing his neck. One of David's hand instinctively went to Lindsay's hip where he gripped the blonde's pants for stability as a thrilling anticipation zipped through him.

"Do you really want to find out?" Lindsay murmured dangerously.

David shuddered and licked his lips, suppressing the whimper tickling his vocal chords.

After a minute without a response where they examined one another for a reaction, waiting, Lindsay's fingers loosened. David surged forward, mouth attacking the blue goo melting on Lindsay's hot skin. David's other hand slid up an grabbed the back of Lindsay's thigh and Lindsay's moved his hand to David's shoulder.

Once all traces of blue were gone from Lindsay's stomach he leaned back licking his lips. As much as he liked attention from Lindsay of this kind of nature, he enjoyed giving it nearly equally.

"Fuck, let's go to my bedroom," David said as he pushed Lindsay back so he could stand.

"Why?" Lindsay asked lowly, a tad breathlessly, and David steered him toward the kitchen doorway.

"Because, okay? Just fucking get there," David snapped and Lindsay chuckled.

Then they were on David's bed, sitting, Lindsay with his lap being straddled by David, and their lips glued together. Hands were grabbing and tugging, pulling their shirtless bodies closer. Feeling, touching, and then tasting.

Lindsay somehow wound up on his back, breathing heavily as David's lips nipped their way to the sticky, melted jello on his shoulder, where he got to work licking it away, sucking at the skin to thoroughly clean it all up.

"Kei's going to hate me tomorrow," David muttered against Lindsay's skin. "The smell of sex is going to drive him nuts."

And then they were both groaning as he ground their groins together.

* * *

The next day David dragged himself out of bed at nine in the morning to check on Kei. At the door he heard nothing so he went to the kitchen and filled a glass with cool water. Outside the safe he paused, water in hand, and looked down the hallway at his bedroom door where Lindsay was sleeping beyond.

He yawned and unlocked the safe, pulling open the door.

Light from filtered sunlight and the lamp in the corner filled the entirely dark space beyond, creating a David-shaped shadow on the floor.

David stepped into it and looked around in what little light his body wasn't blocking.

The frame of Kei's daybed was bent, and twisted even, in some places. And it was turned on its side to the left of the door, missing the mattress.

_That would explain some of the banging,_ David sleepily thought to himself.

Another sweep of the tiny room revealed no Kei but the camping light, on its side also, was three steps in front of him. So he walked over to it, set down the glass, and twisted it from flashlight to lantern before turning it on. The sudden light made him squint in pain.

But in the extra light he could clearly see Kei laying on his ripped mattress to the daybed. His eyes were closed and one hand rested on his chest while the other was flung out to the side. One leg was bent, the other was straight. Kei's hair looked like it severely needed to be brushed and his clothes seemed more like something a hobo or homeless man would wear at this point.

David exchanged lantern for water and approached Kei, mentally noting that he didn't have the pressing urge to run anymore.

Kei's eyelids slowly slid open and he turned those golden orbs on David. Orange ringed the irises in thick bands, the teen happened to notice as he crouched down next to the blonde vampire. Kei's eyes closed again when he recognized the person intruding upon his solitude.

"Here, sit up and drink this," David commanded softly, holding out the water.

Kei groaned, the sound crackling like a broken radio, but pushed himself up onto an elbow with a bit of a struggle. He accepted the glass and downed it quickly before returning the empty container to David.

"How do you feel?" David asked him as he collapsed back on to the mattress.

"Like shit," Kei muttered and David cracked a smile.

"Specifics, please," he requested and Kei growled in response.

"I'm tired. I'm thirsty as Hell. Everything hurts, and I mean _everything_. And I'm pissed off beyond reason," Kei said shortly and tossed an arm over his eyes.

"Welcome to being in heat, Kei," David said and sat back, smirking as Kei groaned.

"What the fuck am I in?" Kei asked. "And how long have I been in it?"

"I'm pretty sure it's a bank safe and you've been in it roughly… three days."

Kei grunted.

"What are you even trying to do?" Kei questioned, annoyance finally creeping into his dead tone.

"Force you out of heat or keep you here until you can control yourself around Sho," David explained as he rose to his feet. He wasn't surprised when Kei sucked in a sharp breath at the mention of Sho's name.

He straightened his pajama pants and turned around to leave.

"David," Kei called out and the teen paused by the door. "Where is he?"

"Sho?"

Kei grunted.

"He's staying at Toshi's while you're like this," David said and exited.

"David," Kei called again.

"What?" David asked as he grabbed the handle on the door.

"I can smell it you know. In the air, on you. And I don't appreciate it. Not now and not while I'm in the next room," Kei told him and David nodded, his cheeks coloring, before he closed the door and locked it.

* * *

When David woke next it was to Lindsay's lips moving slowly over his claim mark near the nape of David's neck. David sighed deeply from the wonderful tingling and resisted the urge to hum in pleasure. He shifted away from Lindsay, not wanting something to start up again.

"I thought I told you I wanted to be around when you went in to check on Kei," Lindsay mumbled against David's shoulder.

"You were around," David muttered into his pillow. "Down the hall and _around_ the corner."

"Ha. Ha," Lindsay said as he rolled David onto his back. The sleepy teen blinked blearily, trying to focus on the blonde's face.

"How are you _this_ witty this early after waking up?" Lindsay sarcastically questioned and David grinned tiredly up at him.

"My genius knows no bounds," David replied.

Lindsay pressed his forehead against David's collar and sighed in mock-exasperation.

"So what's the plan now?" He asked after a minute of silence.

David yawned.

"Right now, get out of bed-"

"Difficult for you, eh?"

"With you here? So difficult," David teased and rolled his eyes for effect. "Anyway, get out of bed, eat… hunt… catch Kei something and give it to him… And maybe whatever the fuck after that?"

"You always were _so_ good at planning," Lindsay poked and David physically poked him, right where his teeth were permanently branded in Lindsay's skin.

Lindsay jerked and David grinned.

"Up," he ordered, pushing at his lover's chest. "Rise and shine! Good morning, starshine, the earth says 'hello' and all that crap."

* * *

It was late evening when Kei's cell door next opened and Lindsay entered with a small, tall table which he placed in the corner before setting the camping lantern on it. He exited for half a second before returning with some of Kei's clothes.

"David thought you might want to change," he said as he held them out to Kei, who was laying where he'd been all day. He had been curiously watching the younger blonde since the door had opened to reveal him.

Kei sat up and took the clothes, setting them down next to him without taking his eyes off Lindsay.

"Where's David?" He asked as Lindsay turned toward the door.

"Hunting. He thought you might be hungry," Lindsay said, watching Kei carefully. "You seem… subdued."

Kei raised an eyebrow.

"You've been pretty angry the past couple days," Lindsay clarified.

"I'm still angry. Pissed even," Kei said tiredly. "I'm just too drained to do anything about it. And part of me doesn't _want_ to do anything about it."

Lindsay shifted awkwardly.

"Because it's Sho, right?" Lindsay said, knowing that _that_ was exactly what it was about. David had told him of course.

"It's fucked up, Lindsay," Kei muttered. "I'm centuries older that him. I practically raised him. He's barely an adult as it is… It's just wrong."

"You know what David would have to say to all that?" Lindsay questioned as he leaned against the wall of the safe next to the door. He didn't expect an answer and just plowed on without waiting for one. "He'd tell you that old men having relationships with younger people is only disgusting and wrong because the men are old physically. Sean Connery and Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson and …Bruce Willis were having women fall all over them into their sixties. Because they looked good for their ages.

"He would also tell you children often first love a parent and sometimes even compete with the other parent for attention. Also, people fall in love with mentors and best friends all the time. There are billions of movies with it and about it.

"And so what if Sho's 'barely' an adult? David is… _Technically _seven and a half years younger than me. I'm nineteen strictly in vampire aging, for kids like us. And I haven't been nineteen for very long."

"So, your real age is what then?" Kei asked after a short silence and Lindsay crossed his arms, calculatingly staring at Kei. He didn't like the look in kei's eyes, and with Kei in heat and extra volatile, this was like playing with gasoline and matches.

"I don't think I wan to tell you," Lindsay told him.

"Oh, so you're _that_ old then," Kei said bitingly in an attempt to goad Lindsay.

"How old would that be?" Lindsay asked lowly.

"Too old to be with a fourteen-year-old," Kei said and his golden eyes were shadowed.

"If you're going to think about my age in terms of how long I've been alive you have to think of David that way too," Lindsay said, glaring intently at Kei.

"Fine. So David's sixteen and you are…?" Kei said, eyeing Lindsay carefully.

"Twenty-three."

Silence fell heavy on the two, like a curtain dropped prematurely on a bad act. They faced off against one another, neither moving with gazes locked for seconds that stretched to moments that rolled on to minutes. The silence became so stifling, Lindsay's ears actually began to ring as they tried to pick up even the slightest sound. And what felt like a small eternity expanded itself between the space of minutes.

"You know," Kai said as he laid back, propped against the wall, his body relaxing but his eyes still dangerous. "David loves you."

A pause.

"I know. He's told me a few times," Lindsay said cautiously, wondering where Kei was taking the conversation.

"He loves you. Before I knew he was my son, I thought of him as such. I know about mating in vampires; the bond, the bites, I know about it. More so now that I'm experiencing it. That is the only reason I haven't been acting more like Sho about you two."

Kei set a deathly serious stare on Lindsay, and the younger blonde felt a chill pass over him.

"As long as I don't think about it, I'm okay with it. Keep it away from my senses. I don't want to see it. I don't want to hear it. And I don't want to smell it. Clear?"

Lindsay understood now, and he nodded. Protective instinct, coupled with being in heat, throw in the new information Kei had just received; the just wasn't in the mood to deal with it any other way.

"No sex in the apartment. And if you _are_ out somewhere else to do it, don't come back until you don't reek of it," Kei said, laying down conditions in a way that protest was impossible.

Lindsay nodded again.

"That it?" He asked casually but in a tone that assured he was taking everything very seriously.

"Yeah, that's it," Kei sighed, slouching just the tiniest amount.

"Alright. Then I'm going to leave and close the door until David gets back," Lindsay said as he straightened and began backing out.

"There's no need," David's voice called and as he got closer Kei picked up another's unfamiliar scent. And blood. He smelled blood pumping through the person's veins, tainted by something unnamable but familiar.

Then David appeared around Lindsay, carrying cradled in his arms a thin girl of about twelve, dressed in stained, ratty clothing. She was unconscious and Kei eyed her apprehensively.

"David…" He drawled questioningly.

David knelt down in the cell and carefully laid her on the floor.

"She's sick. She smells it. Gabe tells me she's terminal. A cancer of some kind. Her parents are dead. Her little brother is too. She has no other family. I offered her drugged food because she was starving and in pain from the cancer," David told them quietly as he brusher her knotted, tangled black hair away from her face.

He lifted his gaze to Kei's and they locked.

"Think of it as euthanasia," David said and he stood up, leaving. "Reunite her with her family before she suffers the entire way there."

Then the door was closed on Kei, trapping him with the tiny girl. He watched her chest rise and all steadily as he hopefully dreamed pleasantly. The hunger pains began as an ache in the roof of his mouth that stretched back into his throat. He felt it in the bone, his teeth, their very cores. His stomach twisted and his throat spasmed, creating a similar feeling to suffocating. And then his esophagus clenched painfully, as though he had bit off more than he could chew and his stomach wanted none of it.

This hunger, thirst, had hit him quick and hard. And without the extra scents to dilute it, he could clearly smell the rotting, sweet sickness in her small body. It filled the safe from corner to corner and nagged Kei's mind. He swallowed the venomed saliva pooling around his tongue. His stomach flipped guiltily, adding to the pain he felt, amplifying it in his jaw, in the muscles around it, on the underside.

His whole body shuddered and a drop of water dripped down his cheek to his chin.

Ten minutes later a knock rang on the door of the safe from the inside. David opened the door to see Kei walking back to his bed in clean clothes. He looked at the girl on the floor and knew she was dead. He couldn't hear her breathing or smell her blood.

"Get her out of here," Kei ordered in a croaking voice.

* * *

David told him it had been five days since he had gone into heat.

Five agonizing, hated days.

So far, in Kei life, being in heat and denied was possibly the second worse thing ever. Right under losing David to child prostitution for nearly fourteen (or was it fifteen now?) years, of course.

At first, Kei had just wanted and desired, and when he was denied he sulked and tantrumed. But then he had been pissed. Severely pissed off, in nearly debilitating amounts of pain, and so aroused he thought his body might explode if he didn't find a way to release the pressure. So he raged. And just like when David was sugar-high, he crashed.

Then he had killed a tiny, sad, sick little girl for sustenance.

The thought now, made him want to puke.

After that it was a winding stair he was slowly slipping down headfirst, attaining bruises, bumps, scrapes, and cuts every stair of the way.

His bones felt brittle and drilled into a million times. Each. Pain emanating from every tiny hole. His joints were achy and his nerves felt pinched everywhere. And since he had been basically on fire at the beginning he now felt hypothermic. His jaw ached too, from clenching, thirsty for _something_ he couldn't figure out. The muscles in his body were so sore and cramped he felt like he had run laps around the world for five days.

To top off Kei's triple-fudge, peanutty cluster-fucked, crap-cream cake, he was salivating a weird venom or anesthesia or something that left him constantly tasting what he guessed the inside of an old lady's pocket might taste like. It was a mixture of change, stale hard-candy, and lipstick, because whatever he was tasting was sweet, tangy, coppery, stale, and left his mouth feeling filmy.

It was disgusting shit.

Kei was done with being in heat.

So, very, done.

It made sense then, when he became seriously homicidal after David flung open the door and tossed in one of Sho's bed pillows on the sixth day.

Of course, Kei didn't become really homicidal. He just truly considered it… After going into the most intense fantasy about Sho ever and fruitlessly dry humping the pillow (as his body wouldn't let him release unless he was claiming his mate).

Fuck everything.

…Literally.

* * *

**Jaded's after-words:** Soooooooooo…. What's in _your_ wallet? )


	22. Loving A Demon

**Chapter ****Title: **Loving A Demon

**Rating:** _**NC-17**_/R

**Chapter:** 20/probably 30-ish

**Warnings: **_**OH **__**HOLY **__**SHIT **__**THERE **__**IS **__**A **__**HUGE **__**SMUT **__**UP **__**AHEAD! **__**IF **__**YOU **__**ARE **__**OFFENDED **__**BY **__**PORNY **__**WRITING **__**OR **__**TWO **__**GUYS **__**FUCKING **LEAVE NOW**. **__**I'M **__**NOT **__**FORCING **__**YOU **__**TO **__**READ **__**THIS **__**AND **__**IF **__**YOU **__**DON'T **__**LIKE **__**IT, **__**YOU **__**CAN **__**SHOVE **__**IT. **_There, I think that's warning enough. (Also there is explosive fighting, drama, cussing, confusion, creature-feature dreaming, dubious-consent which leads into consent, heavy D/S, and just so nobody freaks out, things get smutty when Sho goes home. So skip it if you want. Just skip the entire last section and know that Sho and Kei hook up when Sho goes home.)

**Disclaimer:** Gackt owns Moon Child. (Doesn't that mean he owns Kei too?)

**Pairings:** _**Kei/Sho**_, Lindsay/David

**Jaded's ****fore-words: **Writing takes patience. Patience that I don't have sometimes. Finished my room, stabbed myself in the thumb with a razor blade, added a new horror movie to my favorites and decided I want to single-handedly save the horror-film industry, baked a shit-ton of cupcakes for my little brother and sister's birthday party, burned myself on the same hand as my thumb-stabbing, did awesome things in my classes and watched a lot of DIR EN GREY concert footage. Also, *evil grin of superior evil* you claimed to have high expectations. I believe I have not only stepped up to the plate, but have actually hit a home run and am now running mocking circles around the bases.

***darkly* Enjoy.**

* * *

He dreams of a demon. A pretty little demon with honey skin, downy locks of sunlight falling into his eyes - streaked with crimson and obsidian, and deep brown eyes hiding slitted pupils in their dark, dark depths. This demon hovers above him while he sleeps, his head tipped back and too heavy to lift, leaving his neck vulnerable, ink-dipped claws trailing down it, drawing polished rubies to the surface of his taut skin before they melt and slide down the side of his neck only to leave scarlet trails behind. He dreams of a glittering smile splitting petal-soft lips glistening from a thick, nectarous wine, revealing ice-tipped fangs in a chilling grin. He dreams of soulless pools of sadism, swimming with gore, excitedly watching him.

As he is held down, helpless by unseen bonds.

In his sleep… He's awake, and that demon watches him. Wantingly….

And he is helpless.

Sho sighs as he flips his cell phone open again, staring blankly at the LCD screen, a slight slant to his eyebrows. He hits the speed dial number for David's phone and contemplates calling him for the twenty-seventh time that day. He's sitting on the steps of Toshi's flat. The man himself is at work and Sho hasn't heard from him since noon.

It's been a week since David had kicked him temporarily out and besides Sho's initial phone call, neither had spoken to one another the entire week. There was so much going on in his head, he would want to call David on a whim - to speak to Kei maybe, to ask a question, to tell David something on his mind - but then as soon as it came it was swept away to the hidden recesses of his mind by a worry or a doubt, and he would be back to flipping or fidgeting with his phone.

He hated how conflicted he was. He had always been sure about things, his whole life. He never thought about anything too much. He made a decision and stuck with it, almost as stubborn as an ass to the point of death in some cases. His life was risky and he had just gotten used to it. In the orphanage it had been hard, since he was always beat up and pushed around for being feminine-looking and too skinny, and Shinji would stick up for him, getting in fights with the other kids. Then Shinji proposed they leave and Sho followed him, stuck with him. Together they found Toshi stealing from unattended purses and jackets around restaurants, his tiny hands making it easy for him to slip in and out unnoticed. At once he was stuck with them by glue, Shinji becoming their leader.

Sho had religiously followed Shinji, until Kei. And Sho had incorporated Kei into their lives, even though Shinji actively resisted and fought Sho on it, he couldn't be swayed. Kei was, is, and will. Sho continued to stick with Kei when Shinji parted ways with him, forcing him to choose. And he chose Kei. It had hurt for both of them, but he stood by it. As he grew up with Kei, he learned the street better than anything else he had ever known.

He decided on guns, gangs, and thrill with ease. Just as he had easily decided on everything else in his hard life. He stood his ground for whatever he picked. But since David, things seemed to have gotten more complicated.

Which led him to this point. He was kicked out of his own home, his best friend was in agony because of him, he was having weird dreams and nightmares, he was confused about his relationship with Kei, and with everything going through his head at once - confusion, guilt, sadness, fear, and an odd fleeting feeling too mixed with everything else he couldn't identify it - it appeared to be impossible to make any type of choice. How could he decide on something, when he didn't even know what he should be deciding on? Did he even have to make a decision? To act? What _was_ he supposed to do? Besides sit around with too many things flitting around in his head constantly, what else was there to do?

He hit the back button on the phone and opened a new text instead, entering Toshi's number from his contacts.

_"Going __on __a __walk. __Probably __will __still __be __out __after __you __get __off."_ He hit send and stood up, jumping off the steps, looking down one side of the street and then deciding on the other way.

He hadn't been walking long before his phone buzzed with a new text. He flipped it open and read.

_"Okay? Want anything for food later?"_

Sho responded shortly, feeling oddly unattached to his hands as he did. It seemed that Toshi had picked up on his slightly off behavior. Easy enough for him, since they had been sharing the flat for a week now and Sho had barely talked to him.

_"Pizza n beer ?"_

He shoved his phone into his jacket pocket after that and forgot about it, choosing instead to only focus on not thinking and distract himself with the sights and sounds around him. It was this mindset that had him wandering into the park where Yi-Che had been painting her mural. There was a large waterproof sheet drawn over it for when she wasn't working on it. As he meandered closer to it Sho noticed that it was billowing and moving around oddly for a day with no breeze.

The closer he stepped to it, now walking with a curious-suspicious purpose, the more he could hear. A familiar hissing noise had him flipping the sheet into the air and grabbing two black hoodies, flinging two adolescence onto the ground away from the mural where there was half of the word "bitch" tagged in black and red across the legs of the woman Yi-Che had been working tirelessly on for months. The tentative revealing ceremony date had been scheduled a week from yesterday but now it would have to be pushed back again so Yi-Che could fix what the two dumbasses had done.

He turned to the two boys picking themselves angrily up from the ground, dusting off their pants and hoodies (probably newly stolen even though both kids looked like rebellious teens whose parents had enough money to buy them anything they wanted).

"What the fuck man?" One of them said in Japanese, probably thinking he was so slick because he had misjudged Sho's own roots, not understanding that Sho could understand him.

"Seriously, did you have some kind of fucking sympathy for that mute cunt?" The other, slightly taller boy huffed arrogantly in Cantonese, directly addressing Sho now.

Sho's lips pressed into a thin line and tense, burning, rage exploded to life inside of him. He grabbed the nearest kid and threw him into the fresh paint they had just sprayed onto the mural. The other kid, the shorter one, made to advance on him but in the next instant Sho's gun was on him, pressed to the punk's forehead to stop him dead in his tracks. The other boy he had pressed face-first into the red paint of the "t."

You think you're so fucking cool, destroying shit just because you fucking think you can," Sho hissed to the kid he was pinning. "Think you're so badass because your parents don't give a shit about what you do and you don't do your homework. You think this-" Sho rubbed the kid's cheek around in the red spray paint for emphasis. "-makes people respect you? You think you're going to grow up and be some big bad ass mother fucker in a gang pulling this weak shit. Think you got the balls to be in a gang? To take a bullet?"

The kid at gunpoint made to take a swipe at Sho's gun, thinking he was distracted. In a flash, Sho had the safety off and his finger on the trigger, giving the kid a death-glare.

"Stop playing around and get your fucking lives together. You're both too fucking punk-ass and weak to shoot a gun or take a bullet. Get your asses home and rethink your fucking lives or one day you _will_ find yourselves bloodied and full of bullets from my gun."

With that he jerked the paint covered kid away from the mural and threw him in the direction of his friend, the kid stumbling and just barely being caught by the other boy. Sho put his gun away, as they continued to stand there, dumbstruck and staring at him in awe.

"Go on! Get the fuck out of here," Sho demanded, angrily waving his hand. "And if I ever see this shit happening again, I'll fire off your second warning into your leg."

The shorter kid accidentally dropped his friend and scrambled back, realizing Sho was dead serious. His friend stumbled to his feet, finding it difficult due to his pants being somewhere around his knees, and ran after the other boy, glancing fearfully back at Sho.

Once they had left his sight somewhere down the street and around a corner, Sho turned back to the mural with a heavy sigh and decided he should probably call Yi-Che to deliver the bad news.

At least he got to release some pent-up frustration on those punks.

* * *

Hours later Sho found himself standing outside of his brother's shop, staring up toward the roof where it was most likely he would be. Through the open door he could hear a radio playing quietly and the humming of fish tanks. A woman shuffled around inside, probably bored out of her mind with nothing but watching fish swim and guarding a nearly empty cash register occupying her time. Breathing heavily, Sho entered the small shop and the woman looked up from a magazine she was reading behind the small counter near the wall.

"Hey Sho," she greeted tiredly in Mandarin and yawned. It was obvious she was bored.

"Hello, Luli," Sho said back in Japanese, stuffing his hands in his jacket pockets and meandering to the counter. Then in Mandarin asked, "Things moving slow today?"

The random switching between languages was something they did to each other constantly, trying to confuse one another. So far they had used Japanese, Mandarin, Cantonese, English, a little Korean, and once a little horribly mispronounced Spanish. Sho would have tried french by now, but the fucking language was insanely complicated to speak in that the vowels never rolled off his tongue right.

"Yeah… Even the fish are hardly swimming," she stated before flipping a page in her magazine. Sho hummed but said nothing more. Luli looked up at him suspiciously, waiting for a teasing remark or mocking comment. When none came her frown of suspicion melted into one of concern.

"Are you okay?" She bluntly asked in Japanese, startling Sho who had spaced out, watching a tank full of fish lazily flitting about. He flinched and stared at her confusedly for a long moment before averting his gaze.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Nothing's wrong," he said casually, wanting to hit himself once the words had left his mouth. He'd overdone it. He was obvious now. He should have just left it at _"I'm__fine."_ What now? Change the subject.

"Is my bruhhh… Shinji up-" he motioned toward the ceiling with his hand still in his jacket pocket. "-there?"

Luli nodded in affirmation and Sho nodded back, walking toward the stairs in the back that led to the roof. He had one foot on the bottom step when Luli's voice stopped him.

"Hey Sho?"

He turned slightly to look over his shoulder at her.

"Uhm… Fish… are uh, great listeners you know. They just swim around and never say anything back… Feel free to talk to them if you uohhm feel the need," Luli said quietly to him, glancing at her feet several times. Sho nodded once in understanding of what she implied, too far lost in his own head to even be aware of the fact that it was normal for her comments to be usually biting and mean. He would never take her offer but… At least she had cared enough to offer. Which was a little weird considering how they didn't like one another.

She nodded back once, and then she was gone, tending to fish or back to her magazine. Sho didn't know, he couldn't find it in him to care either.

So he ascended the rickety stairs, rolling things over in his head again, forgetting for a second what he was doing. Then he was at the top of the staircase and Shinji was in front of him, sitting at a table, getting high and absently rubbing the thigh of his bum leg with a hand as he exhaled pungent smoke from his lips. Sho wrinkled his nose and thought of Gabe. At least what she smoked smelled better, he couldn't help himself from thinking.

"Nii-san," Sho called quietly and Shinji twisted around, surprised. A smile stretched across his lips and he heaved himself to his feet. Sho walked toward him and was met three-fourths of the way there by Shinji pulling him into a brotherly hug.

"Sho, it's been a while. I thought that maybe you had forgotten about me. . .or that monster had finally turned on you," Shinji said amicably even though underneath it poison tinted his words with venom brewed in his hatred for Kei. Sho's lips pressed tight and he wanted to lash out at Shinji and defend Kei but he held back, hoping that this encounter would _not_ end like most did. And Shinji was right; it _had_ been a while. Sho didn't want to spoil this by fighting tediously with his brother.

"How are you Nii-san?" Sho asked instead, his tone friendly and light so as to not reveal where his thoughts had been moments previous.

Shinji smiled and limped back to his seat, motioning for Sho to take the other, rarely used, chair also at the table. As Sho slowly lowered himself into the seat Shinji began speaking, telling Sho that things were good, that he hadn't had any trouble for a while, and that he was getting along pretty damn well monetarily without the harassment of the gang he often found himself in debt to.

Sho listened only with one ear, his mind other places still, scattered in the wind and drifting like the smoke from Shinji's mouth had done. He wondered if he would be able to return home soon. And he wished Kei was doing better. Hopefully not in as much agony as he had been when Sho had first seen him. Maybe David would let them speak soon. Everything was up to him recently. Which Sho might have found funny - considering David's age - but didn't for obvious reasons.

Shinji seemed to have noticed Sho's mind was elsewhere for he had fallen silent and was now staring angrily at Sho, lips pressed into a thin line and his eyes squinting behind his sunglasses (which were actually sunglasses this time). The silence slowly brought Sho closer to earth.

"He's done something to you," Shinji stated flatly, rage barely held back behind that dead frown he was directing at his little brother.

That caught Sho's attention and he came around quickly, practically glaring at Shinji.

"Who's done what to me?" He asked quietly, dangerously.

"That monster," Shinji spat like he was trying to rid his mouth of a toxic sludge.

"He has a name and he's not a monster," Sho stated calmly, but his eyes told his brother he was anything but.

"_Why_ can't you see he's just going to turn on you and come back to being my brother _before__he__does_!" Shinji yelled at Sho and the younger man flinched. Not because the words stung but because of the sheer volume of Shinji's voice.

"I've _always_ been your brother, Shinji," Sho grit out, clenching one fist on his knee, trying to stay civil, hoping that maybe their conversation could be saved (while knowing in his heart it would end like it always does).

"No, you _haven't_!" Shinji exclaimed, practically throwing himself onto his feet, wobbling from a mixture of his bum leg and being doped up. Sho nearly wanted to reach out and steady him but inside he knew he couldn't - shouldn't - because he would be showing a weakness that he didn't want Shinji to see in him.

"You _chose_ him! You ran off with him!-" Shinji continued, scowling at Sho full of self-righteous anger. Sho was on his feet in a second, throwing his hands down onto the rickety table - surprised it didn't snap and collapse from it.

"Excuse me!" Sho screamed at his brother, true rage shining in his eyes. Shinji actually looked taken aback. "_You_ ran away! _You_! _You_ **made** me choose!"

"And you _should__have_ chosen me! I'm your brother! Family sticks together. We're all we've got." Shinji seemed to deflate a little as he spoke. Sho almost pitied him, but another part of him demanded that they finish what Shinji had finally brought to the surface of their constantly tense relationship.

"You're wrong, Nii-chan. I'm all _you_ have. Me and that _**shit**_ you poison yourself with to forget your pain. _IT_ has been a bigger part of your life than I ever was. And now _I_ have other family. I have my friends. _I_ still have Toshi. And I have Kei because _YOU_ made me choose."

Sho's voice was low and level and biting, like the edge of a concrete foundation for a building, much like he was currently speaking of the foundations of the strained relationship they had. Shinji's shoulders had hunched and he glowered at Sho, angry at his brother for ripping into his very core, proving those sad, doubting voices in the back of his head right.

"You could have tried harder," Sho finished with in a defeated way, his previously rigid posture relaxing. His soft brown eyes shimmering and shaded with hurt and regret. Regret that they turned out this way, regret that he had visibly hurt his dear brother with the truth he hadn't said for too many years.

"Why?" Shinji finally croaked. "Why him though?"

Sho opened his mouth to retaliate and discovered he had nothing to say. His eyes narrowed in confusion. This only seemed to upset Shinji again. His whole body began to quiver and his mouth twisted into a grimace of fury.

"Just tell me why you chose him," Shinji demanded, his voice raised but even for once, only the quiver as he said 'him' gave away how angry he was becoming again.

"I don't know!" Sho shouted at Shinji. In the next second the table was uplifted and flung to the side with a clamorous clatter, accompanied by the smashing of glass. Shinji had broken his bong and all Sho could cynically think was, _And __it's __only __**now **__that __I'm __more __important __than __pot._

"DON'T BULLSHIT ME, SHO! I know you know why," Shinji roared, placing his good leg forward toward Sho in a lunge. Sho instinctively stepped back, a monster rearing up inside of him before he was snarling back at Shinji.

"MAYBE IT WAS BECAUSE YOU CARED MORE ABOUT GETTING HIGH THAN ME! MAYBE IT WAS BECAUSE YOU STOPPED BEING MY BROTHER WHEN YOU STARTED THAT FUCKING BULLSHIT! MAYBE-"

"DON'T GIVE ME THAT FUCKING SHIT, SHO! JUST TELL ME THE GODDAMNED FUCKING TRUTH AND STOP 'MAYBE'-ING ME!"

Shinji pushed himself up into Sho's face and shoved him angrily, seriously trying to knock him down, wanting to cause harm.

Sho halfheartedly shoved back, still unable to actually hurt Shinji, but Shinji just shoved him again harder. Then something inside of Sho's chest tensed and his impulses took over completely, a monster rearing up, fed up with his brother. His hands flew up and he knocked Shinji's arms to the side and thrust Shinji away from him.

"I CHOSE HIM INSTEAD OF YOU BECAUSE _**YOU **_TURNED INTO THE FUCKING MONSTER AND I WAS FUCKING IN LO- …ove… w-with… ….him….."

Shinji stumbled backward as though Sho had hit him in the face with a two-by-four, dumbstruck and dizzy. Sho's face wasn't far from looking the same, except his eyes were pleading, wondering, and confused all with one look into Shinji's eyes through his sunglasses.

"I-" Sho started to say as Shinji started with "You-"

A fragile silence fell between them.

And then Shinji's face distorted. He sneered in disgust, and he puffed up like a dragon.

"Get. Out." He whispered in a dead calm and Sho's mouth opened to apologize. For what, he wasn't sure; he just needed to do it. At the last second he stopped and Shinji was ready.

"LEAVE. I CAN'T BELIEVE- I WON'T-" He bellowed, not sure how to say the enraged things caught in his throat, swirling around in his head in a tempest. His fists clenched and unclenched at his sides as though if he had something to throw at Sho he would. Breathing deeply, heavily, he tried again, practically spitting the words. "I could handle you being a fag, but- But- BUT TO LOVE A FUCKING MONSTER LIKE HIM!"

"HE'S NOT A FUCKING MONSTER! YOU DON'T EVEN FUCKING KNOW HIM! YOU NEVER FUCKING TRIED!" Sho yelled back at him, his voice coarse with how simply violently enraged he was. Oh how he wished he could throttle his older brother.

"I KNOW HE KILLS PEOPLE, SHO! I know that he's going to turn on you, and kill you too!"

"YOU'VE KILLED PEOPLE TOO, YOU GODDAMNED HYPOCRITICAL FUCKING ASSHOLE! AND IF YOU'RE SO FUCKING SURE, WHY HASN'T HE DONE IT YET?"

"GET OUT OF MY FUCKING SHOP! GET THE FUCK OUT _**RIGHT **__**NOW**_, SHO OR WHATEVER GOD OUT THERE SO FUCKING HELP ME-"

Sho grabbed the chair closest to him and flung it in Shinji's direction with murderous intent, clenching his teeth in vehement fury.

"I'm so _fu-cking_ done with all your _God__damned __**bull-shit **__all _the _fucking __time,_" Sho bit out at his brother who panted motionlessly, eyes locked onto his younger brother, waiting to see what would happen next. "Grow the fuck _up_ and get _over_ yourself."

And with that Sho stomped back over to the stairs, not looking back until he had one foot lowered onto the first one.

When he did, his gaze was hard and black.

"And don't expect to see me again until you do."

With that he disappeared down the staircase, his feet creating the most obnoxious racket he could before he left the shop with a slam of the open front door for emphasis. Luli came running from a room off to the side, worriedly watching him viciously drive his hands back into his pockets and stomp off. She had heard the whole fight and when Sho had started down the stairs she hid, figuring it would be the best idea to make herself scarce.

She sighed and rubbed the heel of her hand up her forehead.

Shinji was an idiot.

* * *

"…moshi…?"

"You knew, didn't you?" Sho interrogated flatly into the microphone of his phone. He was leaning against another cold wall outside - this one made of bricks - about four blocks from Toshi's apartment. This wall belonged to a convenience store.

"Sho?" David rasped into the phone tiredly, a yawn following immediately after. Sho knew he would most likely be waking the teen, as it was about five in the morning, but he _had_ to call. After his fight with Shinji he had wandered around until about midnight - when Toshi's shift ended - before slowly making his way back to his friend's flat. He remembered that Toshi was bringing food back for him right before he entered the apartment at one and he wasn't sure he was really that hungry, what with the alarming discovery he had made that day - and Shinji's response to it. But when he opened the door and the smell of warm pizza hit his nose, his stomach decided to let him know it was practically eating itself in hunger.

Toshi hadn't asked him anything, although Sho knew he knew something was up. He hoped Shinji hadn't called him and told him; no matter how unlikely that actually was, Sho still worried. He had shared the pizza with Toshi in silence, along with a couple cold beers. They watched TV and then Toshi turned in for the night. Two hours later and Sho was still wide awake, too much filling his head for him to sleep.

Now the world around him was dark, the sky a blue-black, and there were few people around as he stared off into space, the silent phone pressed to his ear. Then he heard muted whispering and a distinctly Lindsay-sounding mumble, and even though he knew he should be pissed off just because it was Lindsay, he couldn't find it in himself to care.

"Sho? Are you still there?" David quietly asked, his voice more awake than it had been before.

"Yeah…" Sho responded and fell silent again. Secretly, Sho's favorite time of day was the time between four-fourty-five and five-fifteen in the morning. He liked it the most because it was the only time ever that _everything_ in Mallepa slowed down to a near standstill before racing off again. If time were a roller coaster, this would be that initial climb to the top of the highest hump in the beginning of the ride right before the first plunge that left your stomach in your throat.

Sho heard the easily recognizable sound of rustling sheets and then David's voice filled his ear again.

"Sho…?"

"You knew, right?" Sho asked again, tired in a way he couldn't even comprehend through the numbing fog of his mind.

"Knew what?" David asked and Sho head the whoosh and clinking jars of the refrigerator door being opened. The pop-hiss of a can being opened and Sho responded.

"That I was in love with Kei. That's why you…" What had David done exactly? "Kei's in love with me, isn't he? And. . .you knew about that too."

David said nothing, but sitting on the kitchen counter sipping a mango flavored Rockstar he listened intently, waiting for Sho to get to the real point of why he was calling. Sho needed to verbally sort his thoughts out.

"You knew and… Why didn't you just tell me that from the beginning?" Sho questioned, lost and waiting for an answer. David gave none and Sho sighed.

"I- I had a fight with Shinji to- Yesterday. And we were shouting and I blurted out that when Shinji left I chose Kei because I loved him. That was when I was fifteen, that Shinji left I mean. Do I- …Do I really still love him? I know at one point I practically worshipped the ground he walked on. Can't that be considered love in some form? Is it truly love then? Have I ever really loved Kei or… Or is it all just some kind of delusion I've always had? Some kind of puppy love I never got over?"

Sho paused and breathed deeply in exhaustion. With every word he let out, he could feel the fatigue of the day finally wearing on him.

"Think about it Sho, do you really love Kei? Is this something you believe is true, something you know deep down but might have never been able to admit?" David asked softly, his voice soothing Sho into deflating even more.

Sho breathed silently as he truthfully asked himself if he loved Kei. The immediate, definite answer from a recess deep inside of his very core of existence was _yes,__he__did._ No doubt about it, no more questions asked.

"Yes," Sho whispered meekly, succumbing to the hard inner truths he never even knew he was denying.

David breathed out a gentle huff of a laugh.

"Well, there you go," he said and yawned, his eyes barely staying open. Fucking metabolism burning through half a can of Rockstar as though it were water. He should have eaten something instead.

"I- …I want to come home," Sho breathed nearly inaudibly into the microphone of his cell. David sighed.

"You can't, Sho. Kei's already on the upswing. If you came back now, he'd be like a heroin addict barely recovered and injecting again. It wouldn't be pretty and you could become seriously injured," David explained in patient tones.

"Oh," Sho uttered, defeated. "But-"

"Don't worry about it, Sho," David reassured. "If things continue like they are, Kei should be fine before the week is out."

"But-"

"Just trust me, Sho. If you can trust me for the rest of this week, everything will work out. I promise."

Sho nodded in spite of the fact that he felt an almost uneasy trepidation, though he had no reason to, as David's voice was open and pacifying.

"Alright. I can do that," Sho stated with a deep breath.

"Okay. If that's all you needed…" David trailed off in case Sho had something more to say but after a short pause Sho remained silent. "I'm going to head back to bed. You should go back to Toshi's and get some sleep."

"How did you know I was-"

"I can hear the cars," David cut in briskly, eager to get back to his comfortable bed. Then he smiled as he spoke softly again. "Good night, Sho."

"Yeah, nite."

David hung up after that and Sho flipped his phone shut, shoving it back into his pocket before breathing in a deep lungful of cool, fresh morning air.

Back at the apartment, David sighed and set the phone on the counter next to him, staring at it tiredly without comprehending that his hand was still holding it. He jerked when he felt a hand brush his and remove the phone in it before slipping his Rockstar from his other hand. He blearily turned his head upward to look at Lindsay and managed a quirk of his lips.

Without a word, Lindsay dumped the Rockstar down the drain and tossed the can away. David yawned long, almost dislocating his jaw. It was interrupted when an arm slid under his knees and pulled him sideways off the countertop into Lindsay's chest, the blonde's other arm wrapping around his upper back. David's arm flew up lightening quick for someone as dead tired as he was, wrapping around Lindsay's neck while he glared halfheartedly at him. He hated being picked up and/or carried.

A second later it didn't matter though because his eyes fluttered shut as he began slipping away. He barely noticed when he was placed back into his bed, his body slowly slipping into nothingness along with his brain. Lindsay carefully climbed in next to him and sleepily brushed his lips against the corner of David's before settling down and returning to the world of the unconscious with David.

* * *

Two nights later Sho dreamed of his demon feasting from his neck, one hand wrapped around his ribs under his shirt, claws digging deep into his back so he felt the warm blood from the punctures dribbling down his back and soaking into his hiked-up shirt. The demon's other hand was wrapped tightly around the side of his neck, inky claws scratching pleasantly over the nape of his neck and scalp. And Sho could do nothing but sit in the same chair from each dream of the same, and let the demon consume him while in the very center of his essence he felt a yawning, unfathomable yearning _need_ he absolutely couldn't describe in words.

It was aching. It was a cinching, expanding pressure in the base of his throat. It was tightness in his chest, directly in the center. It was tingling at the base of his skull. It was the little hairs on his body all standing on end at once, his skin chilling. It was a ravenous thirst he felt on his tongue and in every other cell of his body in a dry scorch consuming him. It was not having enough air, drowning in the sky, floating high.

Caught deep in the tendrils of sleep, Sho shivered.

He was turned-on, aroused, lustful and yet there was not a single stir in his pelvic region. He was basically numb there even as the rest of him was hot, hot, hot and bothered.

When he woke up in a cold sweat that had him burning, he drank three ice-cold glasses of water and every muscle in his body refused to stop trembling. The aching need didn't disappear but seemed to retreat into his bones, hiding there, easier to ignore as the days wore on.

And ignore it he determinedly did. Ignoring it so well that by the time the second to last day of the week came and a sudden call from David's phone surprised him, he had completely forgotten of its existence.

"Moshi moshi?"

"Hey… Sho," Kei's voice rasped brokenly on the other end.

"Kei?" Sho questioned excitedly, sitting up straighter on Toshi's couch causing the other man to look at him funnily.

"Anooo… Yeah."

"You don't sound too excited about talking to me," Sho commented blandly, if a bit worriedly.

"….oh… I- …..It's just a bit strange for me really. And quite difficult, to- to be truthful," Kei told him slowly, seeming to choose what he was saying carefully.

"Does this-… What does this mean exactly?"

"I'm not sure. David just. . .handed me his phone while it was ringing…" Kei explained to a very tentatively hopeful Sho. "Uhm, here I'll let you talk to him now."

There was a bit of whispered rubbing over the microphone as the phone was traded hands and then David's voice was in his ear.

"Hey, Sho," he greeted casually and Sho muttered a quiet "hey" in return. "From what I've observed this past week and from this conversation… I can knowledgeably state that you will be returning home tomorrow. Feel free to celebrate… -Now!"

The dial tone met Sho's ear and he pulled the cell back to stare at it in confusion. Toshi was also staring in confusion, but his gaze was fixated on Sho more than the phone. Having only heard Sho's side of the conversation he could safely say that he had even more of absolutely no idea what was going on.

* * *

That night Sho dreamt.

_He dreamt he was walking along the pavement to his apartment and there were large tanks and humvees being driven in processions down the road in the opposite direction. Jogging behind them were men in camouflage carrying heavy looking assault rifles and wearing helmets, as though they expected to be attacked at any moment. They were there because the king was negotiating the tense terms of a peace pact with a neighboring city-sate. The men were somewhat frightening as they passed by but Sho was unconcerned._

_There was a circus in town and he had been one of the few lucky people in the city selected to house a member of the circus. In fact, he was actually going to be playing host for the creature-keeper, the man who took care of the creatures featured in the circus._

_In no time at all he was standing outside his flat, unlocking his front door to enter his apartment, not sure what he was going to see on the other side upon swinging the door open. _

_Of everything he could have expected what he didn't expect to see was a large cage in the corner of his apartment - which was remarkably similar to his real flat, only bigger and with a partition in the living room made only of colored glass. And he didn't expect to see David, wearing knee-high, startling emerald-green combat boots with white laces covering black riding pants, over which hung a ripped and slashed white shirt, red stains edging some of the rips. A dark purple tailcoat that shone blood red as he moved, topped the outfit. David glanced at him, stroking a curled mustache evilly while he studied the animal pacing inside the enormous cage. A second later David hurried over, rolling a black top-hat up his arm to be placed skillfully back on his head of raven blue hair._

_"Step right up, sir, step right up and see the newest edition to the freakiest traveling circus in the world, Dark Days." David grabbed Sho's arm and tugged the frozen man closer to the cage._

_"He arrived just today. Isn't he beautiful?" He was once again stroking his mustache with an almost sadistic gleefulness._

_Sho looked, and truthfully examined the creature in hesitant curiosity._

_The creature had stopped pacing when Sho was dragged over and instead had made its way to the back of the cage, curled into itself near a corner._

_"It's a Lewdextus," David whispered, and the creature's tail flicked in an almost annoyed fashion. Sho couldn't even really see what it might resemble. The thing was hidden entirely in the shadows._

_"I've decided to call him Kei," David went on and Sho glanced at him staring at the creature in fascination. The animal's name roused it, its head jerking around to glare at them with menacing gold eyes, the pupils reflecting incandescently in the dim light, like a cat's._

_The next thing Sho knew, it was rushing forward, low to the hay-strewn ground, crawling like Gollum with its four humanoid appendages sprawled out. In seconds it was upon Sho, grabbing the bars of its cage with menacingly clawed fingers, growling and hissing threateningly at David. Sho was able to get a good look at the creature then, in all its terrifying glory._

_Honestly, Sho was a little frightened staring at the creature in awe. It looked just like Kei, the vampire. It was physically humanoid, with exceptions, and short like Kei. Also, the face - though covered in a tarnished gold fur that was short and growing shorter the farther down his face it went - was Kei's. His terrifying, pure gold eyes were bright and made brighter rimmed in soft bristles of black fur in a fashion similar to a cat's._

_He snarled at David, his lips peeling back and displaying a wicked set of one-inch long, needle like teeth that curled inward slightly. Then he pushed back off the bars of the cage like a large, feral tiger, darting farther back in his prison, angrily pacing in a circle through the shadows. He crawled skillfully on his clawed hands and toes, appearing demonic and alien. Behind him a long tail resembling that of a male lion's flicked back and forth behind him, showing his displeasure. The dark golden fur of Kei's face continued in the same manner as his face along the back of his body. Near his spine and down his tail his fur was longest and thick, but as it spread toward his stomach, encompassing his body, it became shorter until it was just a peach fuzz. Large, leopard-like spots covered his back, also decreasing in size as the fur did. The closer to his spine they were, the more spots were haloed in a platinum color that contrasted greatly with the tarnished color of his fur._

_Next to Sho David snickered and flicked a whip off to the side, cracking it noisily. Kei froze misstep and slowly swung his head to glare at David a single, pointed, humanly-shaped ear on the side of his head twitching. He hissed in warning and David smirked, cracking the whip on the bars of the cage this time. The Lewdexus growled and spun around to face David head on in challenge, his fur bristling. A platinum stripe surfaced from his top lip to the end of his tail, which was black. It was pointed and thin as it touched smooth skin but grew wider as it traveled over his head and down his spine. His gold eyes flashed dangerously._

_David made mocking, clicking noises at Kei with his tongue on the roof of his mouth. Kei hissed again. David cracked the whip._

_The creature was on them in nanoseconds, swiping a clawed hand through the bars at David. Standing so close to the creature-keeper, Sho was not unaffected and three claw marks surfaced on his stomach, splitting the skin and oozing blood. David had five across his chest and he seemed unresponsive, only the corner of his lips twitching in some form of sadomasochistic way. His eyes were gleaming foreignly in excitement, a deranged gaze fixated on Kei._

_Kei only smirked and licked one inky finger right up to the razor-edged claw with a mostly human-looking tongue; it was longer and seemed to rasp like a cat's._

_He stiffened then, his whole body rigid. The brightness of his eyes flickered before his pupils blew up wide and there was more luminous dark green than glowing gold. His nose twitched as he sniffed the air curiously. Then his gaze flickered over to Sho and he smiled widely, wicked teeth revealed slowly. His body suddenly took on a predatory stance and David muttered an "oh shit" reaching to push Sho back but was too late._

_Kei was at the bars in less time it took to blink halfway. He had Sho's arm pulled through the bars, claw tips digging into his bicep securely. Sho was bent over awkwardly and the Lewdexus was standing upright, grinning at him with an extreme tilt to his head. Sho's heart was thundering against his ribs and sternum so hard it hurt and pure terror had a strangle-hold on his throat. He tried to swallow unsuccessfully several times as he was faced with eyes full of unknown intent._

_Absently, another part of him (somewhere in his brain detached from the rest of the situation) noticed that thick dark fur was reaching up from Kei's groin, narrowing into a thin line that jumped his navel and stretched up his chest, nearly to his collarbone._

_Sho jerked back futilely as the sound of his shirt being shredded open reverberated in the quiet stillness. He wondered where David was and why he wasn't helping him._

_The Lewdexus leaned forward slowly, keeping his eyes on Sho's as he stretched out his tongue and lapped up the blood he had drawn across Sho's stomach. Sho gasped just before Kei reared back with the shriek of a demon, releasing Sho, who stumbled back and fell on his ass. Standing at the bars of the cage, David was smiling at Kei with a rapier in his hand dripping blood from the tip, his whole expression screaming UNHINGED._

_Kei snarled and growled in the same moment, his body hunching and his mouth opening as wide as it could. His tongue retreated to the back of his mouth as more rows of teeth than a shark started to pop out of the soft tissue in his mouth. Blood pooled between them before dripping over his bottom lip and spilling to the floor in fat drops._

_He hissed and growled viciously before springing into the air toward them._

Sho wrenched himself awake, nearly hyperventilating as his heart raced. His whole body was covered in sweat, his pajamas sticking to his skin like a second one and his hair plastered to his neck and face. His eyes darted around the dark living room of Toshi's flat while fear induced adrenaline buzzed through his veins.

* * *

Later that day a little after noon, Sho approached the flat he lived in but had temporarily vacated the premises of on foot the action terrifyingly similar to his dream the night previously. The closer he got the more he saw of what was going on near his apartment and that left him wondering what a large flatbed truck was doing parked outside of it. As he meandered closer to the truck he was a little confused and shocked to see Gabe standing on one of the back wheels securing large, thick, flat, metal something-or-others on the back of it with heavy duty, orange, vinyl straps.

"What are those?" He asked her once close enough, curious and stalling before he had to face what might be inside, his nerves jittering around under his skin and in the lining of his stomach, making him a bit queasy. He blamed his nightmare-like dream.

"Bank safe walls," Gabe answered simply, tugging on the recently secure strap, throwing her weight into it to check its strength.

"Bank safe walls? How did you get those?" Sho interrogated incredulously. Gabe jumped down and faced him.

"I bought them," she stated matter-of-factly.

"From where?" Sho pursued, wanting to know _exactly_ _where_ a random teenager might buy bank safe walls. Since the request itself would be odd and bound to have bad repercussions, just for asking.

"The bank, of course." Gabe said flatly, a sense of "duh" entering her tone.

"How? With what money?" Sho really wanted to know how this would work now.

"Money from the bank."

"You robbed the bank?" Oh shit.

"No. I robbed the robber robbing the bank."

"…" Sho's jaw fell a little as he stared at her, an eyebrow raised and an eyelid twitching, uncomprehending.

"Don't worry. You don't have to understand it. Just let it happen."

Sho continued to stare at her in shock as she turned and headed inside his apartment, leaving the door open for him. He spun to follow her, getting his foot up onto the first step before he remembered why he had started the conversation with her in the first place.

His skin prickled with an unsettling chill and he peered up into the open doorway with trepidation, similar to what one might do if they were in a horror movie waiting for something to jump out and get them.

What would he find when he reentered his home? Would everything be trashed? Would it look normal? Would Kei be locked up in a cage as a wild animal like in his dream or would everything be just fine? Well, assuming the bank safe was what used to be Kei's cage, Sho was going to take a deep breath, relax, and conclude that it was fine.

If it was fine, why was he having so much trouble putting his other foot on the next stair?

_"Your __psyching __yourself __out. __Just__… __Go."_ Sho told himself, trying to mentally get himself to take the next stair.

"Sho! What are you doin' out there? There aren't many roses to smell in Mallepa. Get your ass inside," David yelled from somewhere in the apartment. Apparently Gabe told him that he was home.

That served as enough of a push to move Sho forward and he climbed the few steps of their stoop and entered the flat, flicking the door shut behind him.

His eyes immediately sought out Kei who was leaning casually back on the wall of the partition, watching him out of his peripheral vision with his head turned down the hall where David was leaving his bedroom with Gabe trailing behind, the two speaking in hushed voices. Sho couldn't hear what they were saying but Kei obviously could as his gaze flickered to them and he frowned.

"You finally made it into the apartment," David commented with a mocking smile.

"Hey," Sho said flatly, unamused. Then he realized something. "Where's Lindsay?"

"Work," David brushed off and Gabe poked him in the side. "Right, so we-" David motioned between himself and Gabe with his thumb. "-need to go return the bank safe. Now, Gabe tells me that Kei is in control enough that this-" David pointed at the two, swinging his arms in front of him, crossing and uncrossing them. "-won't be a problem while we're gone. We also need to stop at a store somewhere that sells modern furniture to replace Kei's bed, si~ince he trashed his in a horny rage."

Silence met the end of this statement.

"Aaa~aaeeenyway, we'll be leaving, play nice, be safe, pay attention to Kei's eyes, Sho. If they start to look a little yellow, or you know, even gold, then maybe back off a little. Get it, got it, good?"

Sho nodded and Kei stared at the floor and made a noncommittal noise.

"Alright, we'll be back later kiddies."

He waved goofily as he followed Gabe out the front door with a dopey smile. The door was slammed and they heard the roar of the truck's engine as it was stomped to life. Seconds later it was gunning off down the street noisily, leaving Sho and Kei standing awkwardly in the living room, silence thick and heavy around them like an Antarctic blizzard. Sho shifted his bag over his shoulder, not sure if he should put it away and try to talk to Kei or just drop it where he was standing. What if he went into his room and came back and Kei had locked himself in the bathroom or something to avoid him?

Shifting his stance he decided he might as well take his bag to his room, since it was sunny out and locking himself in the bathroom was the worst thing that Kei could do.

When he came back, Kei was sitting on the couch, staring blankly at the wall.

Ignoring him.

Sho sighed, running his fingers through the mop of short hair on top of his head.

"So, this is how it's going to be then?" He asked dejectedly.

Kei barely twitched one shoulder up in a sad excuse of an attempt at shrugging.

"Can't you say anything to me? Can we please talk or _something_?" Sho questioned earnestly, feeling put out by Kei's lack of response. Kei didn't even glance at him. He sighed and retreated to the kitchen. Absently he opened the cupboards, looking for nothing, just needing something to do.

He wished they could talk. After his enlightening week of discovering that he was in love with his mentor/older-vampire-best-friend and the subsequent mulling over this new information, he discovered that being so distant from Kei hurt a lot more than he was admitting for a long time. It was actually why they used to end up in so many fights before David came along. The distance between them after Kei had let Sho in, let him close, the sudden brooding and desire for distance worming its way from Kei, pushing Sho back, constantly holding him at bay. And when that gap was physical the past two weeks, things had been nearly unbearable for Sho, especially with the worry for Kei's wellbeing added on.

Before now, he had never thought he had become so attached to the blood-sucker he saved from committing suicide.

He opened the fridge, wondering if he was possibly thirsty.

With how much Sho loved him, for how long he had, after _saving_ him, it almost seemed unfair that Kei should give him the cold shoulder, what with how much Sho worried about him and felt horribly guilty for being the cause of Kei going into heat. Kei loved him. He had kissed Kei. If he hadn't kissed Kei, the blonde probably would have kept those feelings hidden and not gone into heat. Then Sho wouldn't have found out he was also in love with Kei and they wouldn't be in this mess.

Sho found it a little difficult to believe everything would be okay as David said.

He wanted to be with Kei, be close to him, love him. He wanted Kei to stop brooding about being a vampire and take better care of himself. He wanted Kei to be happy. And he wanted to be happy with Kei. Kei loved him, and he loved Kei. If Kei hadn't been in heat, they might have been able to be together, but since Kei was just out of it they couldn't because it was "too dangerous."

Which was bullshit. Sho faced bullets for a lifestyle.

You know what, fuck that. Kei loved him. He loved Kei. Kei might possibly not know he loved him, so fuck it all. Sho held the all the cards in his hand now and he was going to fucking do something about this stupid avoiding of one another, afraid to set Kei off.

He savagely slammed the fridge shut - almost breaking a couple glasses - and turned on his heel, exiting the kitchen. In the living room he found Kei still sitting on the couch, still staring at the wall. For a short moment his mind flashed back to what David had told him about Kei being in heat but he determinedly pushed it aside and made his way over to Kei.

Kei was unresponsive, lost in his thoughts and ignoring him still. He stepped in front of the vampire and invaded his personal space.

"We need to talk," he said darkly, the tone of his voice leaving no room for an argument.

Kei slowly raised his gaze up to Sho's and he glared weakly.

"Not now, Sho. I'm not in the mood," he said quietly and raised up, stepping around Sho.

But the brunette was having none of that. He barred Kei's escape with his arm and pushed the vampire back onto the couch, Kei landing angrily with a bounce.

"We're going to talk now, whether you're in the mood or not," Sho demanded and Kei really glared up at him.

"Sho," Kei drawled warningly but the taller man returned his glare with an resolute one of his own.

"Look, I'm sorry about kissing you. I didn't mean to hurt you by doing it and _that_ is the only reason I'm sorry. I love you and I may not have known that when I kissed you but I know it now and-"

"Sho!" Kei snarled, suddenly on his feet. Their eyes met and Sho noticed little flecks of gold sparkling in the short, blonde's gaze. For a split second he felt remorseful for pushing Kei but that was swiftly slaughtered by his resolution. He was tired of tip-toeing around Kei's problems.

Kei irritatedly brushed past him, heading towards the hallway where he might decide to take refuge in one of the bedrooms (probably David's) or the bathroom. Sho would have none of that though and he went after him, seething.

Before Kei could even make it past the kitchen doorway Sho grabbed the back of his shirt and yanked him back, actually causing Kei to stumble, having not expected such a thing.

"Sho, goddammit," Kei cursed as he wrenched his shirt free and he faced the taller man.

"We're not through-" Sho growled, balling his fists at his sides in anger.

"We're not doing this now-" Kei stated darkly.

"When then?" Sho demanded. "When you're in the mood? When you're not brooding? When you can stand to be near me again? I'm so sick of all the fucking tip-toeing around you. I'm sick of being afraid of pushing you too far."

"You don't have to worry about me, Sho," Kei muttered flatly, everything about his expression except his eyes becoming dead.

"But I do. Because I love you," Sho stated simply, earnestly.

"Sho," Kei snapped, voice hushed, _dangerous_. "Stop saying that."

"Why? It's the truth-"

"Just stop!" Kei practically shouted, turning away from Sho to leave their argument.

Sho grabbed his arm this time and threw him back toward the living room. Kei stumbled for a step then turned to Sho, lips a thin line and ire in every line of his body.

"We're going to have this conversation now, even if I have to beat you into it," Sho threatened and Kei's glittering eyes narrowed.

"Don't goad me, Sho," Kei warned and Sho glowered.

"Or what?" Sho enunciated furiously. He stepped toward Kei and pushed him back toward the wall, the same wall Kei had been leaning casually against when Sho had arrived home earlier.

He knew Kei could crush his body with his bare hands. Probably crumple him up like a ball of paper if he so wished. He knew the only reason Kei hadn't already let himself be goaded into it was because he loved Sho and was close to him. That was the only reason Sho was able to continue to push Kei and he briefly wondered when Kei would snap.

"You'll go hide in the bathroom or David's room? You'll run away? You'll won't talk to me?"

By this time Kei was hovering just in front of the wall, silently stewing in the rage Sho was inducing in him. Sho saw a chance and grabbed his shoulders, shoving Kei back into the wall and holding him there, crowding Kei so the vampire would physically have to remove him if he wanted to get away.

"I'm done walking on eggshells around you. I'm done watching you starve yourself because you can't just accept what you are. I'm done watching you pine for a past that's gone. I know you blame yourself for what happened with David and Luka. But you have David back now. Also, I'm done watching you push him, your son, away like you pushed me away.

"This isn't a game I'm going to let you play anymore. You can't decide when you're going to let me be your friend. You can't pick and choose. You can't push me away whenever you feel like I'm getting too close, making you feel too much, hindering your escape by just being here."

By this time, Sho's tone had taken on a pleading note. Still angry, only more begging.

"I love you and I want to see you happy. Not wallowing in unhappiness only because you choose to be unhappy."

"Leave me alone, Sho. It's none of your business," Kei mumbled disconsolately, his already glittering eyes even more so with collected moisture. But this only enraged Sho again. He tightened his grip on Kei's shoulder and slammed Kei's back into the wall.

"IT IS MY BUSINESS BECAUSE I'M YOUR FRIEND AND I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU!" He yelled angrily. The next thing he knew he had pulled Kei to him and buried his face into Kei's neck, his grip crushing although Kei probably felt little of the pain of it.

For Kei this was very nearly agony. When Sho had first said he loved him, the little voice inside Kei had whispered little encouragements to him to claim what was his. And then when Sho had grabbed him he nearly snapped there. But oh gods, having his face so close to Sho's neck, breathing in the deliriously delicious scent of Sho's hot, delectable, spicy blood. He never wanted to taste his blood so bad in that moment. And then he felt the heat overtaking his body, a slow burning making his skin prickle pleasantly. And he knew soon the rooted desire he had harbored for nearly two weeks would be back, screaming at him to take, claim, mark, possess.

Sho felt Kei's hands on his sides and thought for a second that maybe the blonde would hug him back. In the next second he was being aggressively thrust away from Kei, stumbling and nearly tripping onto his ass. But he regained his footing and gave Kei a black look. Kei was panting and frowning at Sho in pain, as though expelling Sho from him had been the most difficult thing he had ever done and he wanted to be angry at Sho for making him do it.

"Stop, Sho. Please, just stop," Kei implored of him, his voice shaking with restraint. "You don't know what you're doing."

Sho purposefully stepped back up in front of him.

"Yes I do," he whispered heatedly. "I just don't care anymore."

And with that he grabbed Kei by the satiny blonde locks at the back of his head and jerked their lips together in a simple kiss.

Kei grabbed him by the biceps, his fingernails digging painfully into Sho's flesh with the surge of heady desire zipping through him. The kiss lasted all of five seconds before Kei was able to force Sho back enough that their lips detached. He ducked his head to avoid Sho's intents, his eyes screwed shut and his breathing shockingly labored. He was trying to concentrate on regaining his melting control, trying to smother the sudden, sharp arousal settling in.

Inside, Sho was praising his own boldness, because without it, Kei would not be still holding onto him after a short, sweet-to-his-addiction kiss and instead Kei would still be pushing Sho away from him.

"Just… Stop, Sho. D-Don't-"

Sho chose to ignore- nay, not acknowledge Kei's desperate pleas, instead dipping down and tilting his head to capture the vampire's lips again. Kei twisted his head just enough at just the right moment so that Sho's kiss landed on his cheek and not his lips. Kei's entire body shuddered as he grappled with every fibre of his being for control over himself, his only weapon in this crusade, his weakening will.

"Stop," he was barely able to whisper despairingly as Sho's lips slid over his cheek and brushed his.

And with the tingling sparks in his lips, a passing thought of Kei's in that moment was that to lose control, to give in and let go, and truly kiss Sho - take him, claim him, dominate him - would be frightening and liberating and so very divine. Every cell in his body agreed. His mind was definitely partial toward it. But his soul was fighting tooth and claw the both of them, attempting to sway the others with morals they couldn't care less about and deflated logic, as in the very core of his very essence Kei was hopelessly needing this.

Sho's lips closed around his bottom one, suckling gently. A white-hot jolt zapped down Kei's spine from this, pummeling his already weary will. He inhaled sharply, quietly, with a shiver. Oh, if only he could just…

_Why can't you?_

"You won't be able to just push me away this time, Kei," Sho rasped against his lips and Kei shuddered from equal parts arousal and self-restraint. A whimper of resignation almost escaped him.

Oh, yes, _why_ couldn't he?

To keep himself in check he began mentally listing them.

Sho was human. The most difficult problem, as Kei would not, could not, should not, change Sho for his own selfish needs. The life of a vampire was miserable.

Sho nipped at his lip, distracting him as he seemed to know what was going on in Kei's head.

They were more than a century apart in age. And-

Sho's lips brushed his jaw, heading for his sensitive ear.

And they were friends. Kei's mind had barred and locked the way to thinking of _any_ of his friends like that since he hit his teen years way-back-when. (Like it helped in this situation.)

A stream of hot air in the center had Kei jerking his head unsuccessfully sideways, thwarted by Sho's palm on his cheek, cradling his jaw before gripping his chin between one curled finger and accompanying thumb, holding him in place.

Not only were they friends, though. Kei had- Kei had raised-

Sho's hot breath puffed against his lips and Kei dared not open his eyes in case he lost himself in Sho's.

"Sho… please…" Kei begged whiningly in a whisper, at this point not sure what he was begging for. Did he want Sho to stop still? Did he want Sho to kiss him again? And liberate him from his own bonds?

Their open mouths met again, Kei resignedly welcoming the kiss. He felt the exact moment his willpower failed, cracked, snapped and shattered like a too-old sword in its last battle. He felt it happen inside his chest. Felt the very moment when the too-taut chord within holding him together popped apart in the center, curling back like broken guitar strings. Only instead of exposing the sound hole, it was freeing a feral, caged beast that had dangerously laid awaiting its freedom, growling lowly in the shadows.

In the span of an inhale, their positions were reversed and Sho suddenly found himself pinned to the wall, his legs unable to hold him up as Kei literally devoured his lips with a fervent hunger, one hand slapped on the wall next to Sho's head, the other tightly gripping the back of his neck to hold him in place. The blonde kissed him sensitized - all moist lips and nipping teeth and light panting, until he had melted entirely against the vampire, all his senses yearning toward Kei. His head was swimming in a fog when Kei pulled back to let him truly breathe before diving back in, slipping his tongue into Sho's all too willing mouth, enticing Sho's own tongue to play with him, sliding and pushing and twining together in a way that had Sho clinging to Kei's shoulders, hungry for more.

Kei pulled back with a sigh, a thin string of saliva connecting their bottom lips, and Sho's eyelids fluttered open when he heard an odd snap near the back of his head. His unasked, dazed wondering was answered with his braids briefly brushing against his neck before Kei's hand was gripping them tightly, using his new handhold to tilt Sho's head at the perfect angle to expertly plunder Sho's mouth, tickling the roof of it with the tip of his tongue before teasingly withdrawing before diving back in for superficial brushes and curls of their tongues, leaving Sho whining in wanton displeasure, unaware that he was even doing it.

A sudden gasp parted his lips when Kei slipped between his awkwardly parted legs and he found his growing erection pressed almost embarrassingly against Kei's lower stomach. That is, until he felt Kei's hard-on skim over his thigh when he suddenly slipped on the wall, Kei's free hand on the bare skin of his hip, steadying him in a possessive, bruising grip that had a lusty heat sweeping through Sho. Then his groin was once again being pressed into Kei's stomach and when he moaned lowly in his throat he found himself with a mouthful of Kei's talented tongue, making him dizzy. Kei tugged slightly on his braids and Sho jerked, squirming against Kei to get away from the strange fizzle of pleasured pain in his scalp, leaving after-tingles erupting down his spine.

Before he could recover from this new discovery (he had never had his hair pulled in a moment like this before) Kei's fingers were sliding up his black t-shirt, trailing light caresses up his sensitive side causing a weird, quivering jump in the muscles of his pelvis. His pants were tighter after that and he ground his erection into Kei's stomach, desperately wanting friction. Kei growled against his lips at this. Sho shivered, his whole being turned on from that one noise from Kei and he whimpered in response to it, clutching Kei closer by the shoulder and the back of his neck.

Kei's lips left his with a wet _smack_ and Sho had a second of clarity where all he could feel was Kei's hard body pressed against his, his erection pressed frustratingly against Kei's stomach as the vampire's brushed his bottom as stands of silk fluttered against the backs of his fingers. Kei's lips found his neck then, sucking savagely on a wondrously hypersensitive area of skin just under his jaw near his carotid artery. Sho's fingers found themselves buried in platinum silk, his body arching into Kei's as a moan fell from his lips. Sparks were going off all over his body under his skin, like fireworks in his flesh.

Kei trembled against him and the next instant Sho was stumbling into a more upright position by the front of his jacket, which Kei had open and was gripping in both hands. Dazedly he wondered what was going on before Kei was jerking his favorite white jacket off of him, tossing it aside without a care. Then Kei had ahold of his braids again, using them to pull Sho down to his level. He nipped Sho's ear before huskily growling one word into it that had Sho shaking in anticipation and wimpering in agreement, too horny to even consider anything else.

"Bedroom."

And Sho was steered in the direction of his bedroom, stumbling slightly along the way as he kept leaning down to steal breathy, open-mouthed kisses from the blonde, hot desire demanding he taste those lips as much as he possibly could. Oh gods, he severely wanted Kei in that moment and wished they were in his bedroom sooner.

The next thing he knew he was flat on his back on his bed, Kei standing between his open legs, hovering above him. Their lips were fused together for the next minute as Kei wrestled his shirt up as far as it could physically go with him laying down, Sho bringing a booted foot up to brace on the edge of the bed, using it as leverage to help Kei. When his shirt was bunched under his arms Kei broke off their kiss and dove down for Sho's stomach, his tongue flat against the edge of his leather pants in a long, promising lick. Nimble fingers worked his them open, making Sho tremble. Kei licked at him again, tongue leaving a cool, wet trail of saliva from the first short curls of pubic hair peeking from the top of his unbuttoned pants all the way up to his collarbone. Sho shivered and then Kei was latched onto his neck again near his Adam's apple, sucking with serious force and making all kinds of pleasurable sensations in Sho's body that had him grabbing onto Kei's biceps, wanting more.

Sho's pants were wrenched open and Kei's lips left his neck, his hands tearing Sho's shirt over his head. Sho's naked chest was heaving, everything going so fast he had no time to catch his breath. His skin prickled in the cool air, goosebumps erupting in a wave across his skin. Kei's lips found his again and Sho's hands were buried in his hair as his pants were savagely worked off his hips, his erection springing free and brushing against Kei's stomach. Sho's hips twitched upwards in search of friction but Kei pulled away, panting and jerked Sho's pants down to his knees. Sho tried to sit up to help him remove them, his boots still on being the main problem, but Kei had him flat on his back again with a hand on his chest and a warning growl. Sho shuddered, his groin throbbing hotly from the noise.

He nearly wouldn't have heard it but since he was extremely focused on Kei he did, and he almost sat up, a protest on his lips, when Kei snapped the laces on his boots, too impatient to untie them. But then Kei had yanked his boots off one at a time and tossed them aside and his pants were at his ankles, dragging his socks off with him, so Sho was completely naked under Kei's black, predatory gaze. He startled at that, fear actually shivering cooly in his chest as he had only ever seen Kei's gaze that dark when he was so starved the bloodlust had taken his mind. He was barely able to wonder why Kei's eyes were so black before the vampire was at his lips again, and Sho caught a brief glance at them before his own were falling shut instinctively. Pupil dominated Kei's optics, the molten gold Sho had invoked was only a thin halo around black.

Sharp canines skimmed his bottom lip and Sho gasped through his nose, surprised and yet, not really. He was wrenching his mouth away from Kei's in the next instant as Kei's clothed hips were pressing into his, rough denim rubbing his sensitive erection. It felt so fucking delicious, and Sho wanted more, more, more friction against his needy cock, even as little pain registered amongst all the pleasure. He panted softly, his hips undulating against Kei's, so caught up in the feelings of his body he sought to take as much of it as he could, hazily wanting an end to the wonderful tension.

Kei hovered above him on straight arms braced on either side of Sho's torso, caging his prey in so he couldn't escape, even if he wanted to. Which he obviously didn't, he chuckled in his mind. He was quite glad to just stand there and let Sho cling to him, hands fisted in his tight, long-sleeved white shirt, and legs locked around his waist as he rutted into him. Kei studied Sho's closed eyelids, his barely-parted, panting lips, and the frown of pleasured concentration creasing his brow ever-so-slightly. The constant mantra in his mind of _claim-claim-take-take-take-claim_ fading into fuzz as he took this moment to watch his soon-to-be mate use him for pleasure, a satisfied smirk on his lips letting his elongated canines peek out.

He shifted his stance, angling his hips so Sho was grinding more than just his erection into his jeans. Sho stuttered a moan into the heated space between them and Kei delighted in it and the accompanying darkening of the light flush that had gathered in Sho's cheeks. The chanting returned, stringing his body up toward it like it was his puppeteer. All at once his body went rigid and he bared his teeth, fighting off the demanding need to bite Sho. His want warred with his need and he breathed harshly as he forced the urge back, promising it _soon._

And really, he _wanted_ it sooner, rather than later. He wanted to see Sho even more desperate. He wanted to see him absolutely needing only Kei to be delivered salvation from his raging desire. He _wanted_ to inject Sho with his own burning lust, the one that had been seething inside him for two weeks, circling its forced cage, biding its time and becoming more enraged. He wanted to truly let it out and bind his mate to him forever with it. He wanted to own Sho with it, so Sho would never part with him. Sho was his, and he would mark him as such, ensure that none would take what was his.

Kei gathered Sho's wrists in one hand and removed them from his shirt with a tug. His other hand went to one of Sho's legs where he hooked it behind the knee and pinned it to the edge of the bed. Sho whined in displeasure, his eyes flickering open as he pouted unhappily at Kei. But a single glance at the almost furious, intent expression on Kei's face had him holding his breath, watching him warily with wide eyes, unknowingly playing the part of Kei's prey wonderfully well.

When Kei disconnected their hips he whimpered quietly, suddenly realizing that he was the only one naked. A sudden desirous need for Kei to be equally naked took him and he attempted to wiggle a hand free so he could divest Kei of his shirt. Kei's gaze snapped to his and Sho froze, finding that he was unable to move with that black look pinning him, capturing him just as effectively as Kei's hands. His leg remaining wrapped around Kei slid down and landed on the bed, his foot propped on the edge.

His trapped hands were pressed to his chest and held there as Kei carefully slid his knee up onto the edge of the mattress, hooking the bend of Sho's leg around his thigh, hiking the man's leg farther up onto the bed and straining muscles in it that had Sho wincing in discomfort. Held like this Sho realized he was trapped, open and vulnerable, this point made when Kei leaned down the slightest and the bulge in his loose jeans pressed briefly into the area below his balls.

Sho's whole body flinched and he gasped, panic spiking the lust coursing through him like poison. The situation was suddenly very real and the full extent of what Sho had pushed himself into hit him like a bucket of ice-water. This did nothing to douse the fire in his blood, though. If anything, it was intensified and his whole body throbbed from want. Which scared him the slightest.

Kei's fangs flashed in a knowing, satisfied grin. He had Sho cornered and he was reacting sublimely to it, his pheromones giving off the scent of arousal and fear to Kei in equal amounts, creating a heady mixture in his head. Anticipation. Kei could smell it in these two from Sho and it caused his mouth to water. He tasted the venom of his soon-to-be bite pooling in his mouth, no longer uncomfortable and unappetizing. Now, it was tangy and sweet, and when he swallowed a mouthful of it, it was an aphrodisiac to his body. Oh, how he wanted to bite Sho and claim him, take him and assert the fact that he was _his_.

But he harbored a gratifying anticipation also and he refused to let his demanding urges botch what he so sweetly wanted. A shudder claimed his spine and he raked his eyes lasciviously over Sho's body, trapped and his to seize. Another predatory, sexual smirk parted his lips.

Sho's breathing trembled and his groin throbbed almost painfully at the look Kei was giving all of him. The smile, the black look, the locks of blonde hanging just so over those dark orbs, it all dangerously was close to the demon in Sho's nightmares.

Kei released Sho's hands and lowered his face down to the crease where thigh met groin and he teasingly scraped his fangs over the skin hiding away Sho's femoral artery. Sho shivered and whimpered, Kei's lips following his teeth in a teasing, tantalizing touch so close to where he so wanted Kei's lips to actually be in that moment. The ache that had been hiding away in the very core of Sho's being teased and mocked him, returning the surface at Kei's coaxing. Sho's hands went to Kei's shoulder, shaking as they grabbed his shirt and pulled coaxingly on it.

"Kei," he whispered lowly, wanting to get the vampire's attention but fearing retribution of some sort for speaking. Kei had not hurt him so far and Sho doubted he would, but David's warning the first day of Kei's heat rang back to him from some recess of his mind again. A vampire in heat is dangerous. And Kei had been denied. Now that he had Sho… Who knew what would happen? Sho almost wanted to moan in desperation at trying to get himself into this situation, and actually succeeding beyond what he expected.

Kei glanced up at him, not removing his lips from Sho's skin, licking them tauntingly, letting Sho feel the wet brush of his tongue. Kei was going to devour this man. He would drain him. When he was done, Sho would be a mess, and wonderful, writhing mess, all _his_.

Sho nervously licked his lips, the pleasurable tension in his body becoming tighter from just this small action on Kei's behalf.

"Please, Kei," he whispered now that he had the vampire's attention (not that he had ever not in this encounter). "Please. . .touch me."

The flush on his cheeks flared darker and the beast in Kei purred, satisfied.

Deciding to indulge Sho in this, since he had asked so nicely, Kei stood up and, watching Sho watch him, he stripped himself of his shirt using the bottom hem. Sho swallowed a whimper of want as Kei dropped his shirt to the ground. Then Kei's hands were at the fastenings of his pants and Sho's hand grabbed the sheet at his side. But all Kei did was pop the button before smirking at him below a fringe of blonde.

Sho's world was flipped then as he suddenly found himself face down on the bed - his arms barely able to catch him - with his hips pulled up by Kei. His knees were only barely on the mattress and he buried his face in his arms, knowing just how exposed he was at that moment.

Kei's tongue was on him then, licking in one broad stroke from his perineum to his tailbone. His erection twitched and he moaned softly into his arms. Kei, liking this reaction, did it again, wanting to string him tight and destroy Sho's own control. Kei wouldn't bite him until he was tighter than a drum and begging him, a deep-rooted ache torturing him for release from this hell Kei created for him. The bite would put Sho in this state to begin with but Kei wanted more than that. He wanted Sho to be just a body of unadulterated, unrestrained _reaction_when he bit him. The thought caused Kei to shiver pleasantly as goosebumps erupted on his skin from the base of his skull.

Sho whimpered when he felt Kei's tongue at his entrance, lapping at it and making him mewl, his cock now leaking from this pleasurable sensation he had never known before. The tip of Kei's tongue wiggled inside of him and he whined pathetically into his hand, trying to smother the noise he was making.

Kei took his time doing this, his hands powerfully gripping the back's of his thighs. Using just his tongue he opened Sho's body to him and stretched Sho tauter than pulled rubber, making it difficult for the man to swallow half the sounds he made. Sho was shaking uncontrollably when Kei retracted his tongue, delighting in the taste of Sho teasing him. His body thrummed in anticipation of tasting his blood on his tongue finally. He very nearly moaned at the thought of it sliding down his throat.

Deciding he had had enough, Kei stripped his pants, dropping them to the floor and letting his angrily flushed erection free from its confines. He breathed a sigh of release before pushing Sho onto his stomach. Instinctively Sho rolled onto his back and gasped when he saw Kei completely naked before him, crawling onto the bed above him.

Sho scrambled back until he was properly on the bed and then Kei was gripping his hips with bruising force, holding him still. Sho made a short noise of pain that wanted to be a whimper but was killed off before it could be. His legs were parted and Kei made himself comfortable between them, not quite touching Sho but so close all the man would have to do was loop a leg around the vampire's hips to bring them together.

Lips found their way onto his neck and he was breathing heavily as they closed around the flesh there and applied a delirious suction that had Sho arching into Kei and squirming. He didn't know whether to offer his neck more or pull away from it. Not that he could as Kei's fingers found his braids again and were tilting his head back, pulling on them and causing pleasure to zap and fizzle under his skin, pain commingling with it to make a biting, sharp sensation he found he craved more of.

Kei's lips were all over his neck, sometimes brushing teasingly, sometimes latching on with force to leave behind hickeys that would be purple later. And Sho was incoherent with sensation, his hips straining toward Kei's, his hands convulsing on Kei's shoulders, and quiet noises of pleasure escaping him without his consent. With every slow, taunting kiss to his neck, Sho wished with every cell in his body that Kei would just get on with it already. Touch him, fuck him, give him something, anything. Release if he was charitable.

Fangs scraping over his ear had him jerking away from it, pulling his hair again to create that weird fizzling pleasure in his scalp and down his spine, swirling with the already aching pleasure in his groin. He whimpered as they continued teasing his ear, Kei's tongue slipping out to tease the edge before he nipped the earlobe and sent a hot stream of air right into the center.

"Kei~," Sho whined, hoping the vampire would take the hint and just fuck him, because now it was something he was pretty sure he couldn't go on without getting here, and _now_.

But of course, Kei had _goals_ he couldn't ignore. One of those being that he would have Sho a hot mess beneath him _before_ he bit him, and he definitely wasn't going to _take_ the man before he claimed him. He wanted his bite to be somewhere people would know about it, somewhere he could access any time he pleased. If he bit Sho while they were _fucking_ he would botch it, and that would make him quite angry.

His tongue found the hollow at the base of Sho's throat and he licked it once before brushing his lips along Sho's collarbone all the way to his shoulder. Moisture had collected on Sho's skin in a thin sheen and he licked his lips to taste the man. His tongue found a slight dip just below Sho's collarbone and he laved it with attention, and he decided that this such place would be perfect for his mark. Any shirt with a low collar would display it and it was so easy to get at.

Slightly upset that he couldn't yet stake his claim on the man that was his, he moved farther down Sho's chest to a pebbled, carmel nipple. He scraped his teeth lightly over it and rubbed it slowly with his tongue, back and forth. Sho squirmed, pushing his hips up into Kei's stomach, still seeking friction on his now painful erection, hoping that Kei would just let him reach his climax at that moment.

Kei pushed his hips back into the mattress with his one hand and pinned them there as he moved his attention to Sho's other, neglected nipple, the hand in Sho's braids pulling hard enough to bow Sho's back and make the man's eyes water.

"Oh, god, Kei, please… Just-" Sho tried to articulate in a keening voice, pleading slightly. Kei let up on the pressure he was forcing onto Sho's neck and back, letting the man relax slightly. He bit down on Sho's nipple though, careful of his fangs and of drawing blood. He was waiting, pushing Sho, trying to hit his limit and break him into begging.

A low growl escaped Kei as Sho bit his own hand to quiet whatever was attempting to get free. He abandoned Sho's chest, snatching up Sho's wrists in his hands and pinning them viciously to the bed, snarling instead. Sho shuddered and writhed under him and Kei realized his was pressing his thigh into Sho's erection. So, he swooped down and brutally attacked Sho's mouth, aiming to make Sho delirious and incoherent before he slid his leg up farther on the mattress and pressed his thigh right against Sho's balls. Without prompting Sho began grinding against it, mewling into Kei's mouth as his tongue curled just so to have him twisting his wrists against Kei's hands acting as manacles, impossible to free himself from.

When Kei pulled away from Sho's mouth, the man made to follow and Kei pulled his thigh back from Sho's groin. Sho groaned in frustration, a dark flush on his cheeks and chest. His eyes were watering from his aching, painful, full-body arousal.

"Oh, Kei, please!" He groaned, hips still straining for Kei. Kei's inner-beast was growling in satisfaction. He was so close to the mess that Kei wanted.

"Please~. Please, Kei, please. Fuck- Just-" Sho begged, unconsciously writhing against Kei's hold on him. Kei watched on impassively, only the dark gleam in his black eyes giving him away. "Please! …please…"

Sho finally collapsed on the bed, legs falling open from where they were clamped onto Kei's hips, arms going boneless in Kei's hold. He stared up at Kei, chocolate eyes openly begging as he licked his lips.

"Please," he whispered, honestly begging.

Kei smiled down at him, his first true smile since Sho had started this. He kissed Sho's lips softly and hope expanded in Sho's chest as he believed they were finally at the end of this …thing.

Then Kei detached their lips and moved them to a dip just under Sho's collarbone where he had been laving delicious attention to previously and Sho's heart fell.

"Kei?" He asked uncertainly but a chokingly sharp inhale caught him and his whole body jerked into Kei's, trembling with strain. Kei's teeth were buried in his flesh there, blood dribbling from where his lips were attached to his skin, and Sho had never felt such agonizing arousal in his life, seconds before not able to compare even in the slightest.

"O-o-ohhhh~" He stuttered, keening the simple breath of a word, surprise painting his expression. His hands were twisting in Kei's hold again, fisting so tightly that his blunt nails were digging into his palms.

He jerked his head to the side, squeezing his eyes closed and writing under Kei, every single part of every single cell in his body being pulled toward Kei, wanting to press into him and never be parted. The ache before was nothing compared to this scorching inferno of painful arousal consuming him, all expanding and coming from where Kei's mouth was attached to his shoulder.

Kei jerked back from him, panting harshly, eyes glazed as he stared into Sho's desperately desperate ones. Sho's lips were moving but no sound was coming forth, he couldn't hardly _breathe_. Red stained Kei's lips and Sho couldn't tell what he wanted more. To kiss Kei, to have him bite him-claim him again, or for Kei to be in him, taking him so hard he couldn't see straight.

Kei's thoughts seemed to be in the same place because he licked his lips quickly and let go of Sho's wrist, his hands grabbing Sho's sweat-slick thighs and yanking them up so his leaking erection was sliding against the cleft of Sho's ass. Sho's free hands flew up around Kei and clawed his back as he struggled to breathe, pulling himself as close to Kei as he could. He felt the tip of Kei's erection at his entrance and his whole body trembled, a high keen coming from him in desperation.

Then Kei was sliding into him with a growl and Sho threw his head back, Kei filling him the only thing he could focus on as he forgot to breathe. His thighs were impossibly tight in Kei's hold, the muscles shivering from strain. This was salvation, heaven and hell all in one, and Sho could only want more of it. Kei held shakingly still, panting against Sho's collar as his senses were awash with everything Sho. In this moment, he could feel, taste, and smell Sho better than he ever could, ever. And Sho tasted and smelled of spice and sweat and yearning and fire, his hot blood calling to Kei to take, take, take what he needed from him.

And take Kei did, adjusting his hold on Sho, one hand staying on a slick thigh, his other arm going under Sho's lower back to cradle him at the perfect angle to get exactly what he desired from this man.

Then he was pulling out and thrusting back into Sho, hitting his prostate and making Sho cry out his name. His next thrust came without falter and Sho was thrashing his head back and forth, his hands sliding on Kei's sweaty back, clawing for purchase in this tempest of insane pleasure. His body rocked and undulated with Kei's onslaught, noises leaving him unimpeded as he lost himself entirely. His balls were impossibly heavy and tight without him already hitting his climax and he didn't care how long he held on, just that when he came, he would feel Kei doing the same deep inside him, binding them in this exchange.

Kei panted into Sho's collarbone, knowing the end was near as Sho tensed and whined, his body instinctively trying to hold out and wait for him. The slick muscles of Sho's insides were gripping and convulsing around him so deliciously he wouldn't be able to stop taking his mate, even if the end of the world were to fall on them. It wouldn't be much longer before they were cumming together; Kei had strained their bodies too far for anything long and slow.

Kei grit his teeth and gasped before jerking Sho upward and sitting back so Sho was riding him in his lap as he leaned back on his knees. He slid his tongue between his teeth and bit down hard, flooding his mouth with hot blood that dribbled down his chin. With one hand on Sho's hip steading the man, his other fisted Sho's hair and smashed their lips together for a sloppy, wet kiss, Kei's blood passing between them. Kei groaned when Sho suckled his tongue as much as he could while still trying to breathe.

Sho swallowed the collection of fluids in his mouth and gasped feeling Kei's blood burn his esophagus like a potent alcohol.

He shook, his toes curled, and then he was cumming harder than he ever had before, fingers digging into Kei's back hard enough to leave bruises on the vampire. A cry cut off as he lost the ability to breathe again, his whole body clamping down on Kei. Kei's teeth latched onto his nipple, drawing more of his blood free as he came just as hard in Sho, his cock milked by Sho's spasming muscles. He very nearly fractured Sho's hip with his grip there as he rode his orgasm.

Sho whimpered when he could breathe again, Kei's teeth around his nipple ecstasy and torture to his hypersensitive flesh. He didn't even register the dull ache of Kei leaving nearly black bruises on his hip.

They both trembled as they slowly descended from their shared orgasm. Sho was boneless against Kei, lethargically wondering how they were still upright after something as explosive as _that_. Sho was very nearly convinced in his slowly fading mind that he had completely _lost__his__mind_ when he came. He was sure it had short-circuited and _died_ on him.

He was so out of it, oblivion calling to him, that he barely noticed Kei laying them down on their side with the utmost care. Then Sho was unconscious, Kei not far behind him, their bodies still connected, neither feeling any want nor need to part as they left the living world.

* * *

**Jaded's ****after-words:** Excuse me while I go throw myself into a three-foot snow drift outside my house in my back yard.

So there you have it. 16,069 words spilled out here for your pleasure. I demand _**HUGE**_ fucking reviews. By the way, I've already started on the next chapter. If I don't get those HUGE FUCKING REVIEWS, than you shall not get another chapter. Yes, I am withholding from you now. So humor me here, I think I went above and beyond Pluto's expectations here.


	23. Down Time

**Chapter Title: **Down Time

**Rating:** _PG-15_/R

**Chapter:** 21/possibly 30-ish

**Warnings: **inside Lindsay's head, weeping, cussing! always cussing, (pleasant) molestifications

**Disclaimer:** Gackt owns Moon Child. (Doesn't that mean he owns Kei too?)

**Pairings:** Kei/Sho, Lindsay/David

**Jaded's fore-words: **At bottom.

* * *

It was late into the night - the sky pitch and the bedroom lit by only the lamp on the bedside table - when Sho awoke groggily from his rest. The first thing that hit before he opened his eyes was the pain. Everywhere. Every muscle he had was sore. And in some places it felt as though he had taken a beating. Then he stretched and felt the painful cramping, pull of muscles in his perineum area. Flashes of memory hit him then and his eyes shot open to stare at his cream colored ceiling in shock and an inability to believe it actually happened, even as every bruise and bite on his body protested that.

A shouted curse and a clatter of something reached him through his closed bedroom door and Sho was able to identify David's voice as the one cursing. He blushed bright red from his ears to his navel, suddenly very glad that things in the bedroom (and on himself) had been cleaned up and it didn't seem like David would be anywhere near his room for awhile. The running faucet in the kitchen telling him so, along with Lindsay's concerned call from the living room. He was very grateful for the sheet covering him.

And then the loss hit him as he noticed the sheet was covering _only_ him, bringing with it an irrational fear and horrifying sadness.

Kei wasn't there. He wasn't in the room with him, and Sho just knew inside him that he wasn't in the apartment either. Where was Kei? Why wasn't he there? He was supposed to be there. Where was he? He couldn't have left Sho, could he? He wouldn't have, would he? Sho needed Kei. He needed him there, now.

Without realizing it, Sho had begun to cry quietly, curling in on himself. His legs rose to his chest as his arms crossed across it. He sobbed breathily, pained by Kei's disappearance.

He sat like that, his sobs steadily increasing in volume as he began to unknowingly panic, until he was wailing out Kei's name unashamedly, terrified without the blonde vampire there.

The door to his bedroom flew open and David appeared, holding one of his hands to in his other as he wrapped a large band-aid around his middle finger. He seemed confused before he understood what had happened and made his way swiftly to the bed.

"Where's Kei?" Sho gasped through his tears, his eyes pinched closed after seeing David enter his room. "Where's Kei, David?"

David said nothing as he slid onto the bed next to Sho and hugged the man close, pulling him into a soothing embrace.

"David," Sho moaned as though he were dying. "Where's Kei?"

"He went out to feed, Sho," David murmured, turning Sho's face into his neck and letting the man sob into his shoulder.

"To feed?" Sho repeated, his crying becoming hushed but nowhere near stopping. This was supposed to console him? That didn't tell him where Kei was or if he was coming back. He needed Kei here and he needed him now. Why wasn't he here for him?

"I want Kei," Sho sobbed and David rubbed soothing circles onto his back with his uninjured hand, trying to comfort Sho and maybe calm him down. Having been on the receiving end of the same type of experience he knew exactly what was going on. Thankfully he hadn't had to deal with it since Lindsay had refused to leave him alone the first few days. But Sho, poor Sho had woken alone. David felt a sudden and consuming anger toward Kei for leaving Sho. Then the rational voice in his head berated him for that, since David knew how Kei could be and if the vampire had to feed, he had to, and David just needed to drop it before he thought himself in circles.

Unintentionally David had started gently hushing Sho like an inconsolable child, the hand rubbing Sho's back never stopping.

He didn't even stop when he noticed the sudden malicious presence in the doorway, directing waves of malevolence at him.

David turned his attention there to see Kei wearing his previously discarded jeans and white long-sleeved shirt under his typical red jacket, eyes narrowed on him and lips a thin line of displeasure. His stance was casual, all his weight on one foot and one knee bent, one hand hanging at his side, the other on the doorjamb. But David knew better, could see Kei's white-knuckled grip on the doorway and the tense line of his jaw. The man was barely holding himself back, only because David was his son. Sho and Kei's bond was in its earliest stage and until it had progressed, David and Lindsay would be seen as a threat to Kei's claim.

In an attempt to placate Kei, David relaxed himself entirely and put off a sense of inattentiveness toward Sho, showing that he lacked interest and was only there to be cried on. Kei's body relaxed somewhat but he remained glaring at David. David was tempted to glare back, as if to say that it was Kei's fault he was there in the first place but that would only be seen as a challenge to Kei's mind.

Resignedly, he slid off the bed and let go of Sho, even as the man tried to hold onto him. But David stepped back out of reach, hands at his sides, gaze affixed firmly to Kei's that watched him like a hawk. Sho let go of him, looking even more devastated, not noticing Kei in the doorway until David was stepping in that direction.

"Kei!" Sho cried out happily as he reached out toward the blonde and the warning, challenging look in Kei's dangerous hazel eyes disappeared as David slipped past him.

Kei entered the room, kicking the door shut behind him, and stripped off his coat as he went to Sho. Keeping their gazes locked, he slid onto the bed on one knee to sit and cradled Sho's jaw in his palm, wiping away the wetness on Sho's face with his thumbs.

"What's wrong?" He asked softly, Sho grabbing his bicep and staring longingly at him, as though he weren't really there in front of him.

"You weren't here," Sho choked out, fisting the side of Kei's shirt in his other hand, trying to pull Kei closer. "I thought…"

Sho flushed suddenly, realizing how stupid and clingy and _needy_ he was being. His hands immediately released Kei's shirt and arm, falling to his lap as he pulled his face away from Kei's hands. He averted his gaze to his lap, twisting the sheet covering him around a finger. One of Kei's hands covered his own.

"Tell me, Sho," Kei requested gently, watching his mate for a reaction.

Sho continued to stare determinedly at his lap, his hands remaining still beneath Kei's. A finger and thumb grabbing the sides of his chin tilted his head up and he was forced to look at Kei.

"Tell me, Sho," Kei requested again, demand creeping into his tone. Sho pouted.

"I thought you left me," Sho mumbled, the thought of such a thing making his eyes tear up.

"I could never," Kei murmured and leaned in to kiss his lover to emphasize this. Sho's hands returned to his body, arms wrapping around him in a desperate embrace.

Kei kissed him slowly, palm cradling his jaw and the fingers of his other hand carding soothingly through the shorter locks of hair on the top of Sho's head. When they parted it was with happy sighs and Sho buried his face into Kei's neck with a weak laugh.

"I'm so stupid for thinking you would. I just don't know what came over me," Sho whispered into his skin. Kei held him with one arm wrapped around his shoulders and his hand still carding through his hair. "I felt so scared when you weren't here when I woke up. You love me. You wouldn't leave me."

"No, I wouldn't. I do love you, but it's so much more than that now, Sho," Kei breathed into his hair. "You're mine. All mine. And I'm not going to share you. You're not stupid for feeling afraid I would leave you. Besides it being human nature to feel that way in that situation-"

"I still over-reacted," Sho interrupted, a tug to one of his braids quieting him.

"The bite made it worse. I've claimed you as my mate, and as you're not a vampire and can't return the claim it's natural for you to feel such. Until the bond has strengthened over time, as it only can, you'll feel this way whenever we're apart," Kei explained in a dulcet tone, brushing his lips over Sho's ear.

"Well, that sucks," Sho huffed and then tried to joke. "Better get started on turning me."

Kei jerked back and gripped Sho's chin almost painfully tight, glaring at him face to face.

"Don't joke about that," he breathed dangerously.

"David says it's inevitable," Sho stated challengingly, glaring back at Kei.

Kei turned his head with a snarl, neither denying nor confirming. Sho assumed what David had said was right.

"It can't be so bad," Sho said, tugging his chin free from Kei's hold. "And just so you know, I'm not going to let you get all emo-pussy on me like that dumbass wannabe-pixie from that Twilight movie."

Kei snorted in amusement and returned his gaze to Sho, smiling. He pecked the taller man on the lips.

"Thanks."

* * *

When David returned to the kitchen he found Lindsay sitting on the counter next to the stove, eating one of the fresh chocolate chip cookies that David had just pulled out of the oven, the cookie sheet full of them tossed carelessly on top of the stove.

"Did you get your hand taken care of?" Lindsay asked, nodding in the direction of David's hand hanging limply at his side.

David's middle finger on his left hand chose that moment to throb painfully where the burn was located all along the side of it. David raised his hand up and stared blankly at the bandaid wrapped securely around the finger.

"Uhh. . Mmmm. . .Yeah…." He breathed, blinking several times in a row.

He dropped his hand and moved to the warm cookie tray. To test its temperature he tapped his uninjured fingers on the side of the tray, deeming it cool enough to touch.

"Was I that. . .pathetic. . .when. . .?" David asked, trailing off as he yanked drawers open, looking for something to get the cookies unstuck from the tray.

"You were," Lindsay answered bluntly, carefully watching David as he chewed a bite from his cookie.

David turned to him in the midst of opening a drawer with an angry glare that bordered on a pout.

"But it was your own fault," Lindsay continued, shoving the rest of his cookie in his mouth as David slammed the drawer shut. He chewed slowly, and swallowed, knowing David was silently staring in front of himself, waiting on Lindsay to elaborate.

He didn't. Instead, he grabbed the shoulder of David's shirt and dragged him over to stand between his parted legs. He wrapped an arm around David's shoulder while his love stared up at him in confusion. He smiled, a small quirk of his lips, and threaded his fingers through the mostly pink locks on the side of David's head.

Then, without a word, he leaned down and kissed David.

Without any elaboration, he pressed their lips together, sticky and overlapping and tasting of chocolate.

He pulled back and waited as David's eyes fluttered open before sliding from the counter, dropping another kiss on David's lips and leaving the kitchen for the living room.

"Spatula's under the pot holder," he said flatly over his shoulder to his dazed lover.

David blinked and shook his head slightly to clear his mind.

Lindsay never had to work hard at being David's mate and lover. He did what came naturally and was right nearly every time. That didn't mean he had no idea what he was doing. He knew all too well. David finds intelligence attractive. Lindsay was smug enough about it to know this was one of the reasons David found him attractive. So, by all means, he knew exactly what he was doing. He just never really planned any of it out, or thought about it before doing it. He just knew.

So he knew that when David was asking about being pathetic, he was actually more wondering if he had ever been that disgustingly vulnerable during the first stage of their mating. You see, in David's mind, vulnerability is somewhat of a kink and a taboo, something he appreciates and enjoys in others but not something he is. David hides his vulnerabilities away like dark secrets. Few had ever really known them, and Lindsay is lucky enough to say he is one of the few. Even stuck in extremely vulnerable situations for most of his life, David was never actually vulnerable in them. Lindsay understood, then, David's aversion to being vulnerable and finding it something frightening and disgusting in himself.

When David was asking if he had ever been as pathetic as Sho's reaction to Kei's absence, he wasn't belittling it. His compassion and sympathy for Sho were real and pity-free. He wasn't insulting Sho but rather reflecting the similar situation back on himself and using simple, nearly scathing words to distance himself from what he was really trying to convey. It wasn't complicated to understand David. It just took knowing him, and a wonder for things hidden away to get it. David was at once you-get-what-you-see and care-to-find-out-what-I'm-hiding? Candid and obscure with everything he said and did. Lindsay had learned that it was a way to weed out the posers, wannabes, and back-stabbers in the world. People that really cared would want to find out. The people that didn't would take what he said and leave it at that. It was like a puzzle, a maze, a game.

Really, David asking about being pathetic in the context he did, was not only a question of whether or not he had ever been that frighteningly vulnerable, but probably something about being too easy to read emotions from also.

Lindsay kissing him reminded David that it was _him_ who David was vulnerable around, _could be_ vulnerable around. Lindsay was his mate, the person who would be there always, always strength and support when he needed it, when his shields cracked, or he fell apart. And Lindsay was one of the few who would know when that was happening because he was one of the few who could read him easily.

The kiss had been a reaffirmation to David, of Lindsay there in his life.

Watching TV, sprawled out on the couch, Lindsay contemplated his actions and David's reactions to come to these conclusions from previous knowledge and he filed it away in his head. Knowing himself as well as he did, it was probably in an overflowing box labeled simply "David" or more amusingly "Understanding Your Mate and All Related Mating Rituals."

That little bit of pondering done, he clued in to what was on the television and zoned out, subconsciously listening to the quiet goings-on in the flat just in case.

* * *

Fingers slid over gorgeous, tanned skin, tracing a small scar from a knife accident from too many years ago to count. They did not linger on the familiar scar, instead gliding smoothly to a newer blemish, this one a ring of scabbed indentations and a wavy ring of blue bruise underneath. Teeth marks circling a small nipple on a sculpted chest. The fingers stroked this ring thoughtfully before slowing, pausing, and pressing curiously.

They did not move as a stuttered inhale of mild pain seemed too loud in the silence of the small, tiled room.

Eyes drifted upward from the fingers to another similar bite near a defined collarbone. This bite was heavily bruised - plum, spotted with nearly-black purple - and a nearly ugly, raised, dig of both top and bottom teeth deep into flesh was swollen around the edges and slightly inflamed. The scabs were very much velcro-connected to the vulnerable tissue beneath, making them severely painful if accidentally tugged or ripped. The bruise of this bite was somewhat odd also, the edges - coinciding with the edges of the ring of broken skin - were curled almost like smoke, and appeared as though to be a maroon brand against his skin.

Sho's entire body trembled as a flash of white-hot pleasure and undiluted need assaulted his senses from memory and he gasped, trying to stifle these images and practically tangible feelings. His hand unconsciously moved from his nipple to prod the heated flesh of the gouge from teeth. But a millimeter away and he reconsidered, dropping his hand instead to the countertop, fingers curling loosely around the edge of the sink. His eyes remained fixated on the claim-mark, contemplating it with gaze alone. Washing it minutes before in the shower had been a confusing and surging affair, Sho's sensory receptors pelted with extreme, searing, stinging _pain_ and tingling, addicting, brain-scrambling _pleasure_ all in the same brush of an innocuous washcloth lathered in silky suds of soap.

It was a bone-melting experience Sho was dubious to repeat.

Instead he tore his attention away to the nearby hickeys spotting his skin in large purple and brown uneven stains. Splashes of outstanding color covering his neck and upper chest randomly in varying degrees of intensity. These weren't the only bruises of bright color on him, though. Sho knew from washing up that there were five, finger-like, neat, blue-green bruises on the backs of his thighs from when Kei had grabbed them while-

Sho bit his bottom lip and he tensed, trying to distract himself from remembering what if felt like to have Kei's skilled tongue in such an oddly arousing and sensitive area of his body.

Without conscious thought, Sho's hand left the counter and idly traced the nearly black, broken handprint wrapped around his hip. The heel and the fingertips of the print were where it was darkest, fading to a deep plum color, then to maroon for the palm and the little, thin areas between plum pads and fingertips. The edges of the whole thing was blue. Sho learned not to put any pressure on this one since whenever he did it sent a pinching, throbbing, teeth-grinding shudder of pain into the entire thing and the surrounding area. He wouldn't be surprised if the bone beneath flesh was covered in barely noticeable hairline fractures.

The gentle press of lips between his shoulder blades made him jump as two slim arms sneaked their way around his bare waist. His gaze fell to them in the reflection of the mirror and he wondered how he hadn't noticed his new lover sneak up behind him. He _was_ standing in front of a large mirror. …And, come to think of it, hadn't he locked the bathroom door?

Those soft lips brushed the nape of his neck and Sho's skin quivered in a ripple down his spine but he refused to shiver.

He sighed as his chest filled with warmth, forcing the air out to make room. The purest affection he had ever felt before overwhelmed him and he wanted absolutely nothing, and in the same moment he wanted everything Kei.

Subconsciously, he leaned back into the vampire's embrace. Kei breathed deeply and exhaled with a sigh, damp locks of Sho's unbraided hair brushing his nose and cheeks. Then he raised himself to his toes and hooked his chin over the taller man's shoulder, their gazes meeting in the mirror in front of them. Sho's lips quirked in a small, half-smile and Kei returned it silently.

Sho shifted and turned halfway to face Kei who loosened his arms and fell back to his feet, watching Sho's face, waiting. After a brief pause, Sho leaned in and gently pressed his lips to Kei's and the blonde's eyes slipped shut as he returned the careful pressure. One of Kei's hands carded through Sho's hair and his fingers trailed slowly down the man's neck with the same motion. With a soft nip to Sho's bottom lip, Kei pulled away and met Sho's almost-sleepy eyes.

"Get dressed. I'll braid your hair for you," Kei offered softly, pulling Sho closer to him with his arm around the taller man's waist.

Another quick kiss and Kei released Sho, leaving the bathroom.

Sho licked his lips and glanced out of the corner of his eye at himself in the mirror.

* * *

_Two days later..._

Sho groaned into Kei's mouth, his fingers tightly fisted in satiny platinum locks as he and Kei made out on his bed. Kei was once again above him and between his thighs, their clothing covered hips rocking together leisurely as they kissed. Sho's legs were practically locked around Kei's waist as the vampire undulated deliciously above him and he couldn't get enough of Kei, no matter how tightly he held them pressed together. Their bare stomachs brushed against one another's, the skin-on-skin contact making both of them crazier with desire for the other.

Both gasping dazedly from their effects on each other, Kei dragged his lips away from Sho's reddened ones and left wet, open mouthed kisses in a burning trail over his chin and down his neck, working his way in a diagonal toward his claim-bite on Sho's shoulder near his collarbone. Sho bit his tongue and moaned when Kei reached the edges of the purple and black bruise surrounding the deep impression of Kei's teeth. The vampire opened his mouth wide and breathed hot air onto the sensitive, cool skin before leaning down and scraping the edges of his lengthened canines over the healing scabs. Sho's entire body shuddered in searing need as the extremely sensitized nerves surrounding the healing flesh fired off potent tingles of pleasure to his central nervous system.

He keened loudly and arched upward into Kei when the vampire actually reattached his mouth to the abused flesh.

In David's room, Lindsay took a seat next to the shorter male on the bed and stared at the mural across from them that was very nearly finished.

"When do you think it'll end?" He asked nonchalantly, eyes affixed to a cannibalistic orange star eating a helpless small pink one in the mural.

"This round or…?" David questioned back, his voice equally devoid of much of anything.

"Or." Lindsay clarified.

"A week," David stated decisively.

"You always say a week," Lindsay shot back flatly.

"It's a good amount of time," David murmured distractedly. Lindsay hummed.

A muffled cry traveled through the wall and David's eye twitched. Lindsay noticed.

"You brought this upon yourself, you know," he stated obviously.

David grunted.

"Yeah. But I didn't need the details," David muttered and it was obvious this whole time he was staring at the opposite wall trying to ignore what was going on a wall away behind him. Lindsay chuckled.

Then an idea silently dinged into invisible light above his head.

"Maybe I can distract you from those details," Lindsay said with the barest hint of suggestion.

And before David could even open his mouth to respond, Lindsay had him flat on his back on the bed beneath him.

Lindsay knew David. Lindsay knew David well. They hadn't been together for a _very_ long time but he already knew more of David's little idiosyncrasies than anyone else, except maybe Gabe, who knew everything about him because she knew everything, period.

So he knew exactly what was going to happen when he pinned David down the way he had, with David on his back, legs bent like he had been sitting Indian style before being forced down, Lindsay's hands wrapped tightly around his wrists as they were forced to the bed under them on either side of David's head. He knew that when they ended up in this position, David would tense up, a fiery defiance would flare in his eyes, and he would automatically attempt to use his legs as a barrier between them, even as Lindsay's body would be in the way of that course of action.

And after that moment where he would tense up, put himself on guard, and his mind would be calculating the next move, he would relax. Because it was Lindsay who was pinning him. And purely because it was Lindsay, he would _let_ himself relax.

David _did_ relax after a breath. His eyes turned almost sleepy and his legs fell down to splay to the sides, bent at the knees, letting himself open up. And because he was doing that, his cheeks burned bright red.

Lindsay smirked lazily down at him, happy he knew David so well and loving that it was only for _him_ that David was like this.

Carefully he lowered himself down onto David, feeling his younger mate breathe against his chest as their hips aligned perfectly.

Now, if only they weren't wearing shirts.

"What are you doing?" David asked him breathlessly, his quickening heartbeat felt in Lindsay's own chest.

"Distracting you," Lindsay stated, smiling smugly. A low growl was heard through the wall in the silence following that statement.

"Not working," David mumbled in annoyance, his eyebrow quirking but his oddly hazel eyes never leaving Lindsay's purest green ones.

"It will. …You know, you practically promised me this," Lindsay said in a slow drawl. David gave him a skeptical look. "'If they just realized their feelings for each other they'd be fucking… _And_, they'd stop bothering us.' That implies - taking into account what was going on during that time of course - that you wanted to fuck like bunnies without them cock-blocking us every time we tried."

"You read too much into things," David muttered with a glaring pout.

"I think you wish that were true, because then you wouldn't be stuck underneath me like this," Lindsay stated matter-of-factly. David's lips pressed together angrily and Lindsay smirked challengingly.

It was going to be one of those encounters…

He shifted, intentionally letting his hips drag over David's. The younger man tensed and sharp eyes warned him, watching his face carefully, calculating.

_One of those encounters_ were one of the few times David was not playful and instead a fiery, fierce, stubborn fight waiting to happen. Usually David was teasing, playfully messing with the people around him to see how they would react and if they were willing to step up. So, often, between them, there were a lot of playful threats, button pushing, sometimes cruel teasing, and pointless arguments until Lindsay decided he had had enough and he pushed David into submission. But sometimes David wanted a real fight and the power struggle most people didn't see between them crested in a tsunami-sized wave and Lindsay truly had to fight to dominate David. Because normally David submitted for his own enjoyment, _letting_ Lindsay dominate, in a sense. After these ferocious encounters Lindsay always felt the immense surge of satisfaction that accompanied the affirmation that he deserved his dominant role purely on the fact that he had _earned _it.

Below him, David clenched his teeth and twisted his right wrist in a defiant attempt to free it from Lindsay's hold.

Lindsay watched him carefully, blinking slowly as he considered what might come next.

Well, his original reason for this was distraction, so to hold true to said motive, he should probably attempt to actually do such. But do it how, was the real question…

The easiest way to distract David, with the limits of their position, would be to grind their hips together. That would be _too_ _easy_, though. If Lindsay were to limit himself to just his mouth, he could easily distract his younger lover with kisses to his neck. He couldn't use his hands anyway. They were holding David's wrists to the bed.

He shifted on top of David with a predatory smirk, moving to straddle his hips while simultaneously leaning down to press his lips to the minutely trembling flesh over David's heavy pulse just under his jaw. He barely tasted soft skin before David's heel whacked against the outside of his calf and he was thrown off balance by David jerking his right elbow in toward his own ribs. The next thing Lindsay knew he was falling sideways off the bed and David was jerking away from him, staying on the bed.

Lindsay hit the floor with an involuntary grunt in the back of his throat.

A poorly muffled snort of laugher reached him and he sat up, rubbing the back of his head. He was glad for the cushioning the rug next to David's bed had provided for it. Shaking it off, Lindsay rose to his knees and leaned his arms on top of the bed. His gaze fell on David's face, where a grimace trying hard not to be a smile was directed at the ceiling.

"Oops," David said before breaking out into a fit of sniggers. He turned his dark, amused, hazel eyes on Lindsay. Lindsay returned the gaze, unamused.

David's face fell and his eyes were suddenly hard, like shiny new marbles.

"Sorry," he said quietly, sincerely. Then he was bolting upright and grabbing a handful of Lindsay's blond hair. Their lips were pressed together briefly, David's moving gently and radiating apology with his tenderness. The angle David was twisted as he leaned over must have been painful but Lindsay received no indication of such as he responded with equal slowness. His hand raised from the bedspread to brush his fingertips over David's ear and found himself blinking in confusion when all contact between them ceased.

David was gracefully tumbling off the bed next to him, landing expertly on his feet without a glance at Lindsay.

"I'm going out," he muttered as he exited and was out of sight, leaving Lindsay kneeling next to his bed with a worried frown.

A strange, calculating, curious, wary tenseness spread out from his stomach and he sat up slowly, contemplating the doorway through which David had disappeared. There was something wrong. Part of him wanted to take off after David, but another part of him knew that it would be fruitless and only serve to possibly piss him off. David was irritated; at what, Lindsay had no idea. But he knew if he dogged David and berated him about it, there would only be bloodshed between them. They didn't fight often, but when they did, it could be bad.

So instead he would wait. He would watch David carefully and be ready. David would tell him when he could, and if that didn't seem to be any time soon, Lindsay would help him speak. David wasn't often down, but the times when he was _really_ _down_ were terribly scary times for Lindsay, especially after they mated, because David was still technically new to the world and he had a trainload of baggage. Both of them were discovering huge new things about David, and Lindsay knew that deep inside, beyond his free, careless, alive surface, David hid dark emotions and thoughts and ideas. There was anger, Lindsay knew for sure. And acute pain and sadness. There were always glimpses of all this when David slept and a nightmare would sneak its way from the hidden, barred confines of David's mind. Very few times had Lindsay ever seen these innermost, horrifying things.

But each time scared him, rocked him to his core. Anguish and helplessness was what he remembered most from those times. He felt that he was getting better at dealing with them when they came, though what he wished he had learned was how to prevent them.

At this point, all he could do was see it coming and hope to help David through it to the other side.

* * *

"Kei?" Sho whispered from where his head was pillowed on the vampire's chest. They were naked and Kei was on his back with Sho pressed against his side, the sheet on Sho's bed draped barely over Kei's hips and entirely over Sho's stomach, the only thing keeping them decent as they were basically plastered very comfortably to one another. Kei was nearly asleep, as it was about ten in the morning and the sun was burning bright in the sky.

"Hmm?" Kei hummed and Sho felt the vibration in Kei's sternum.

"I can hear your heart beating," Sho said. Kei frowned slightly with his eyes closed before shifting his arm a bit around Sho so his fingers could lazily play with the longer strands of silk brushing over the taller man's skin.

"Yeah…?" Kei finally responded. There was a moment of silence.

"I thought vampires didn't have heartbeats," Sho finally stated, turning his head so he could prop his chin on Kei's chest and watch the blonde's face.

"That's just a ridiculous notion humans came up with a long time ago, probably before medical science," Kei told him, cracking his eyes open for a brief glance at Sho before they shut again. "If vampires didn't have heartbeats our blood would not flow. We would not become aroused, our regeneration would not be possible, we would have absolutely no brain functions, we would constantly be cold… Basically we would be reanimated corpses, zombies really. So I do have a heartbeat, because I am not a zombie. I am a vampire. It's slightly slower than the average human's heartbeat, but it does exist. My heart _does_ have to pump blood, stolen though it may be."

"I've always thought all those vampire myths and movies were crap," Sho commented with a smile before laying his head back down on Kei's chest.

Several long minutes of peace passed before Sho broke the silence again.

"You breathe too," he said hearing the super long, even _whooooooooosh_es of breath Kei was taking.

"I do," Kei murmured. "I don't have to."

"Why do it then?"

"Habit." Kei shrugged slightly. "I mean, technically, I do _have _to breathe, just not a lot. If I absolutely needed, I would only have to take a breath once a week."

"Wow," Sho breathed.

"Of course, I wouldn't be speaking during that time since air flow over the vocal chords is what causes speech," Kei explained sleepily, things falling silent once more.

Nearly fifteen minutes passed in stillness before Sho once again ended it.

"You're being talkative," he observed, shifting his legs in their tangle with Kei's.

"You are more," Kei mumbled and Sho knew he was barely conscious.

"You don't normally tell me anything about being a vampire, except when….." Sho trailed off, not wanting to bring up their arguments when Kei would starve himself. "But now you're just telling me."

"You're my mate now. I have these stupid, insane urges to please you even when I'm nearly asleep." Kei paused, the silence chastising and Sho blushed. "Also, this is some knowledge you should probably need to know as my mate."

"Oh," Sho said and fell silent once more.

Barely a minute went by this time and he was opening his mouth again.

"Kei," Sho murmured quietly.

"Yes, Sho?" Kei muttered and Sho could tell he was getting annoyed. He ducked his head down on Kei's chest.

"The next time you go out to feed, could I maybe come with?" He asked, barely loud enough for himself to hear but he knew Kei would just fine.

"I only fed three days ago, Sho," Kei uttered quietly.

"Does that mean yes?"

"I'm not going to be leaving you any time soon, Sho. And When I do go out to feed, yes, you can come along. Is there anything else you absolutely need to say right now, or can I sleep?" Kei said blandly, forcing an eye open to glare at the mop of hair resting comfortably on his chest.

"Sorry. I won't say anything more," Sho whispered, still blushing.

"Just sleep, Sho," Kei ordered, loosely wrapping his arm around Sho's ribs.

Sho sighed and let his eyes fall closed.

* * *

Some time around mid-afternoon, Lindsay was idly playing one of David's video games - more for the sake of keeping his mind busy than anything of entertainment value - when the phone David had left behind between the couch cushions dinged with a new text. Lindsay fished it out and checked it after seeing Gabe's name lit up on the screen.

_'david's fine he wanted me to text you to let you know.'_

Lindsay frowned at it. He had been concerned after David hadn't returned after a few hours but assured himself that his mate was fine. It wasn't unusual for David to be out and about for long hours on his own - or with one other person. But now it was nearly three in the afternoon and he had been gone since six that morning. Nine hours and he hadn't even checked in to let anyone know he was okay, which was weird. Except now Gabe was texting Lindsay, so he had to be with her, right?

_'is he with you?'_

Lindsay wanted to make sure. Gabe _was_ special after all.

_'yea he doesn't want me to say anything more to you though he won't be back until later"_

Lindsay glared at the phone, unsure. Should he be worried, pissed, or back off? He definitely felt pissed off at David not wanting to even text him on Gabe's phone himself. But the more rational part of his brain was telling him that he should be worried, because David was distancing himself. When David detached it meant there was too much in his head to have room to deal with other people. And he _did_ feel worry, but… His anger seemed to be easier - less complicated and painful - and more predominant. Still, he didn't want to be that way toward David right now, especially right now.

_'tell him- no he's probably reading it over your arm. When are you coming home?'_

Home. Lindsay felt a bit odd typing that up. Did he considered Kei and Sho's apartment home? Not really, no. But David lived here, and that was home. It was still weird though.

_'all he says is he'll be there letter and not to worry cuz he's fine_

_*later'_

Yeah. Right. Not worry. And later… At least he would be back before midnight. Later wouldn't mean "tomorrow" in David-speak.

The toilet flushed at that moment, interrupting Lindsay's thoughts and he stared back down at the red phone in his hand.

_'allright'_

He tossed the phone onto the couch a cushion away and picked up the Xbox controller from the arm. He unpaused the game and began shooting everything that moved in the game, releasing some of his worried anger that way.

"Where's David?" Sho croaked from the wall near the entrance to the short hall, staring at Lindsay through puffy, tired eyes. A pair of loose pajama pants hung twisted and crookedly on his hips. Lindsay knew exactly why too. He'd been there plenty of times, pulling on the nearest item of clothing to leave his bed and not caring how it looked, if it was on right, or even if it was his.

"With Gabe," Lindsay said dully, returning to staring blankly at the screen. Sho grunted and glanced around.

"Say when he's gonna be back?" he asked, yawning. Lindsay shook his head.

"No."

Sho hummed and turned around to head back to bed. Lindsay thought about shouting something sarcastic or teasing after him but refrained. They weren't friends and he honestly preferred it that way.

* * *

Muffled rustling noises roused Lindsay from sleep some time around midnight. He cracked his eyes open to find David with his back to him, stripping in the hazy light leaking between the curtains from streetlights outside. His clothes being dropped carelessly to the floor was what he had heard. Lindsay glanced at the clock and felt the mattress shift. David was crawling into bed next to him.

"Hey," he whispered and David's head jerked up so he was facing Lindsay, though Lindsay couldn't see any of his features.

"I thought you were asleep," David whispered back. Lindsay propped himself up on an elbow and pulled David down for a kiss.

"I was," he breathed between them. David licked his lips and Lindsay felt it.

"Didn't mean to wake you," David said and slipped fully into bed next to Lindsay. Lindsay settled back down on his side, his fingers stroking softly up and down David's arm next to him.

"Don't worry 'bout it," Lindsay muttered, feeling his eyes slip shut without his consent. David shifted and rolled onto his side with his back to Lindsay. In response, Lindsay shifted in behind him, draping his arm comfortably around his lover's waist. A couple inches of space remained between them and both were content.

"Night," David yawned. Lindsay sighed a barely coherent "nnngh" into his sweet smelling locks of hair before drifting off completely.

* * *

**Jaded's after-words:** So… I know it's been a while but this is my last year in high school and I've had a lot of things to do (because I've been behind due to certain circumstances). In five days I'm turning in the computer I've been using for school for the last three years. I don't know when I'll next be able to post, since I don't own a computer of my own except a really old one that's only good for music and pinball, and this chapter isn't all that great. It was supposed to be longer but since I'm out of school in eight days, I thought I should just post something before I can't post anything at all. I will be writing more even though I won't be able to post and maybe when I do have access to a computer with internet and stuffs I can post regularly.

David - going by personality alone - seme? or uke


End file.
